


Grand Pas de Deux

by Shaples



Series: Grand Pas de Deux [1]
Category: Free!
Genre: Ballet Dancer Nagisa, Bartender Rei, Domestic, Eventual Smut, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, Light Angst, M/M, Slow Build, Strippers & Strip Clubs
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-07-23
Updated: 2015-10-28
Packaged: 2018-04-10 20:59:57
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 8
Words: 70,458
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4407449
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shaples/pseuds/Shaples
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nagisa is working as a stripper to cover his tuition at a prestigious dance academy. Rei just got hired on as a bartender at the same strip club, and is having trouble keeping his eyes off Nagisa.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Entrée

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the Reigisa Celebration Day 17 Prompt: Tattoo

Nagisa was used to being stared at. After all, being looked at was, fairly literally, his profession, and though he didn’t always relish the feeling of eyes on him, it had long since stopped bothering him. Mostly. The customers stared, of course – that was why they were here. And the new bouncers always did their first few nights, too, before they got used to the sight of glittery, mostly-naked men gyrating on a stage a few feet away from them. But the bartender they’d hired the past weekend was different. He’d spent the first few hours gawking like they all did, slack-jawed and wide-eyed, but he’d gotten over it by the end of the night. Mostly. Mostly meaning now he only watched Nagisa. Meaning, he _always_ watched when Nagisa came out on stage, but hardly spared a glance for any of the other dancers.

At first he’d thought the guy was just a weirdo, ogling everyone long past his grace period. But when he’d mentioned it to the other guys back stage one night, no one seemed to know what he was talking about. The next night, Makoto had confirmed: from his vantage point by the front door (arms crossed, trying to look tough and imposing), he had noticed the new bartender working perfectly diligently all night, then totally spacing out the moment Nagisa sauntered out from behind the curtain.

What was more confusing was that the guy wasn’t even really _staring_ , not the way the people in the front row stuffing dollar bills in his g-string stared. Whenever he caught the bartender’s eye (which, god, was happening more and more frequently), there was no hot, lusty look on his face, no leer. All he saw was something damn near admiration, and that, more than anything else, made it weird. They hadn’t spoken – he didn’t even know the guy’s _name_ – but every night the bartender watched him strip down to his skivvies with this gentle, appreciative look on his face like he was sitting front row in some fine theater, not in the back corner of a strip joint. At least he had the decency to look away whenever Nagisa caught him, but his gaze had always wandered back by the time Nagisa looked again.

He could still feel the guy’s eyes on him when he left the stage after his last performance of the night. Nagisa held out a hand to high five Momo as he headed on stage, then donned the pair of gym shorts he’d shucked before his last performance and flopped down into a chair in front of the communal dressing table, “God, that guy weirds me out.”

“Momo?” Rin asked, glancing over as he tied his hair back in a loose ponytail.

Nagisa snorted, “No, the new bartender.”

“He’s still giving you the evil eye?”

“I dunno about _evil_.”

“You want me to pull him aside and have a talk with him?”

Nagisa giggled, pressing his hand to his mouth, “I think you’ll have to fight Mako-chan and Sou-chan for the right. When I pointed it out to them, Sou-chan threatened to throw the guy out a window.”

“Good,” Rin said.

“He’s probably harmless,” Nagisa said, turning to look at himself in the vanity mirror, “I’m just not used to people looking at me like that. Not in a place like this, at least.” He’d spent most of his life on some stage or another, but this was one case where context made a big difference. He shook his head, “And I can’t figure out why he doesn’t just come talk to me, you know?” He sighed at his reflection. He’d done an angel/demon routine with Kisumi earlier in the night, and Momo had been a little overenthusiastic helping him get ready. He pulled one strand of his hair, and gold and pink glitter tumbled out like the world’s worst case of dandruff. “God, this is never going to come out.”

“Oi, watch it,” Rin snapped, brushing glitter off his pants, “That stuff totally clashes with the duds.”

“Sorry, Officer Matsuoka,” Nagisa said, then promptly leaned over and shook his head, sending glitter cascading down over Rin’s authentic-looking-yet-easy-to-remove police uniform.

“Hey, knock it off!” Rin said, pushing Nagisa away by the top of his head and forcing him back into his own seat, “Gonna be Officer Fabulous if you keep that up, Sparkles.” He looked at the hand that had touched Nagisa’s hair and frowned, “Oh, god, how did you get so much of this on you?”

“Momo,” Nagisa said, and Rin grunted his understanding.

“You through for the night?”

Nagisa nodded, “Yeah, but it’s my turn to clean up back here, so I’m stuck until they boo you off stage.”

Rin snapped his teeth at Nagisa, but before he could follow it up with an empty threat, sirens howled from the other side of the stage, and a chorus of enthusiastic screaming rose up from the crowd. Rin let out a little huff and stood, pulling on his fake cop hat, “That’s my cue.”

“Have fun arresting Momo-chan for the third time this week!”

Rin rolled his eyes, but quickly replaced his totally-effing-done-with-this expression with an easy, sensual smile before flinging open the curtain and sauntering out onto the stage, earning another round of screams and cheers. The music rose up to a wild thudding bass, and Nagisa ran his hand back through his hair again, trying to tame his curls. He was tired and dehydrated, the beginnings of a headache blooming in the back of his skull and pounding in time with the music. He needed a shower, and a good night’s sleep, and maybe something to eat that didn’t come from a drive-through.

Instead, he was stuck re-hanging costumes, sweeping, and doing his best to impose some semblance of order on the wide vanity table he shared with the other dancers. He was just starting to clean their dingy little shared bathroom when the music cut out, signaling that they were finally getting ready to close for the night. He’d almost finished scrubbing the toilet when Rin emerged from the locker room, absently smoothing and counting wrinkled bills. He’d changed into a pair of loose fitting sweats, a racerback, and slip-on shoes, but still looked sweaty and disheveled.

“Good haul tonight?” Nagisa asked.

Rin nodded, “Not a bad crowd. You want us to stick around and help out?”

“Nah, just try not to trash the place. I’m almost done.”

Like his words had summoned destruction, Momo bolted around the corner, wearing nothing but an unzipped jacket and a g-string. He powered past Rin, grinning as he grabbed onto the doorframe and swung into the bathroom like a crazed monkey, “Nagisacchi! We’re going for drinks, wanna come?”

“Wish I could,” Nagisa said, kicking the lever to flush the toilet and tossing the brush into the corner, “I’ve gotta be up tomorrow.”

Momo deflated, but just for a moment, then shouted, “Next time!”

Nagisa grinned despite himself, “Definitely.”

Rin wrapped his arm around Momo’s throat in a lazy chokehold, dragging him away from the bathroom, “Put on some pants, dumbass. I want to get out of here.”

Nagisa listened to them bicker while he put away all the cleaning supplies, and only headed back out to his locker when he heard the back door bang shut, cutting off their voices. It had been a long night and he was beat; he’d come in early to cover the shift for one of the other dancers, and while he didn’t mind the extra work – or the extra money – he was really, really looking forward to going home and to bed. He grabbed an old-but-comfortable short sleeved sweatshirt out of his locker and pulled it on. It was a breathtakingly attractive combination with his ratty gym shorts and chucks, but at least it was comfortable, and wouldn’t be ruined by the glitter that was _still_ falling out of his hair.

He’d just grabbed his bag out of his locker when he heard a door shut behind him and jumped, letting out a rather undignified squeak.

“Oh, I’m sorry, I didn’t know anyone was-” The bartender stopped short when he realized it was Nagisa he’d run into, his hands stilling where they’d just started to untie his apron. Nagisa just stared at him, open-mouthed. This was the first time he’d seen the guy up close, let alone actually heard his voice, and from a few feet away rather than across a dimly-lit, smoke-filled building, he was surprised to find that the guy was… well, normal looking. Taller than he’d thought. And, he realized, kind of pretty. His hair was dyed a deep navy blue and tousled just so, and he wore red glasses that, at this distance, made the vivid lilac of his eyes stand out beautifully. He also had a sleeve tattoo on his left arm – a simple geometric design that started around his wrist, but morphed and changed into abstract, interlocking shapes as it moved up his arm. The design disappeared beneath the rolled up sleeve of the bartender’s black button down shirt, then reappeared up along the side of his neck as a little trail butterflies that looked like they were fluttering away. The pattern was elegant and vaguely familiar, but he couldn’t quite put his finger on it.

And, shit, now _he_ was the one who was staring. Nagisa cleared his throat and started rummaging around in his locker just to have something to do that wasn’t looking at the bartender, “I was just getting ready to lock up. I thought I was the last person here.”

“Er, right,” the bartender said, glancing down at his feet before heading over to a locker a few down from Nagisa’s. “One of the customers puked all over the bar and passed out. I had to clean up and make sure she got in a cab.”

Nagisa snorted, “God, aren’t Friday nights great?”

The bartender grunted an agreement, pulling off his apron and stuffing it into his locker. Nagisa couldn’t lock up until the guy left, but squeezing past him out of the locker area and standing idly by the door while he waited just seemed rude. Instead, Nagisa started absently fussing with his hair in the mirror he’d stuck to the inside of his locker. He frowned first at the glitter, then at the way his hair had gone limp with sweat while he was cleaning. As soon as he realized what he was doing, his fingers froze mid-fluff. He had absolutely no reason to be primping at just after three in the morning. He hastily closed his locker, clicking the padlock shut and spinning the dial, only for the sound to be immediately echoed by the guy next to him.

But the guy didn’t move.

“Uh, I’ve been meaning to ask you…” the bartender started. Nagisa took a deep breath, the oft-cited (though not actually very strictly enforced) company policy against office romance already on the tip of his tongue. “…Where did you learn to dance?”

It was so at odds with what he’d expected to hear that the confusion fell right out of Nagisa’s mouth, ungraceful and unbidden, “Huh?”

“Ah, I just mean… the way you dance is very…”

The bartender trailed off, and Nagisa struggled to fill in the gaps. “…are you thinking of changing professions?”

“What? No, no, I just mean – You have beautiful form.” The tail end of his sentence came out sounding miserable, like he realized how stupid the words sounded as soon as they left his lips, like he wished he could bite them back and swallow them down. Nagisa was too busy gaping to come up with a response. The bartender pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose, “I just mean, you’re very graceful, and you have a very well developed physique. I thought you might have had professional training. Ballet, maybe, or-”

“Danse Marie,” Nagisa blurted, then flushed and glanced away, “I study ballet at Danse Marie. Er, when I can afford the classes, at least.”

“That’s…”

“Stupid, I know, I-”

“Really impressive. They’re very exclusive, aren’t they?”

Nagisa opened his mouth, then closed it. “Yeah, kind of.”

“I’m surprised you don’t have a scholarship of some kind, you’re obviously very talented.”

Nagisa half-choked on a laugh, “Says the guy who’s been watching me take off my clothes all week.”

The bartender pushed up his glasses again, turning his face away and muttering, just barely loud enough for Nagisa to hear, “You know how to move your body.”

Nagisa leaned against his locker, surprised to find himself taking pity on the new guy. He didn’t believe for a second that his gawking had been purely innocent, but… “My parents stopped paying for my classes when they found out I was gay, and I can’t reapply for financial aid until next year.”

“I’m sorry.”

Nagisa just shrugged. “It is what it is.” He paused for a moment, then added, “I’m Nagisa, by the way.”

“Rei.”

“Rei,” he repeated, liking the way the name felt on his tongue. “Nice to finally meet you.”

“Yeah,” he said, “And sorry about the uh…”

“Staring holes in me?”

“Yeah, that.” Rei glanced away again, obviously blushing, but this time the way he turned his head showed the line of the left side of his neck, and the butterflies flitting up along it.

Something clicked; Nagisa suddenly remembered where he’d seen the design before. He leaned in and looked a little closer. “Escher, right?”

Rei’s hand moved habitually to clasp his neck, like he was checking to make sure his tattoo hadn’t flown away, then nodded, “It’s inspired by ‘Liberation,’ but I modified the design.”

“You do tattoos?”

“Ah, sort of. I’m learning to, at least. I have a close friend who runs a parlor.”

“Can I look?”

Rei went a little wide-eyed, like he wasn’t quite sure what that implied, but nodded anyway. Nagisa went up on his toes, hooking his finger into the collar of Rei’s shirt and pulling it down, following the trail of butterflies as they spread out along his shoulder. Then he pushed Rei’s sleeve up as far as he could, admiring the way the geometric shapes morphed into blocky, stylized butterflies that started to break apart and become more realistic as they moved farther up his arm. Nagisa ran his fingertip lightly over the delicate-looking wing of one of the butterflies on Rei’s bicep, murmuring quietly, “It’s really beautiful.”

Rei sucked in a quiet breath, then turned to look down at Nagisa, “Would you like to go get a cup of coffee?”

Nagisa stepped back, lips curling into a smile, “At three in the morning?”

“Yes.” He said it without hesitation, but his eyes went wide and he immediately backtracked, “I mean, if it isn’t too late for you, of course.”

Nagisa tapped his finger to his lip thoughtfully, “I dunno, I do need to be up in the morning.” There was just a second of genuine disappointment on Rei’s face before Nagisa added, “Why don’t you buy me a slice of pie instead?”

Rei brightened immediately, “I think there’s a 24-hour diner just down the block from here. Would that be acceptable?”

“Perfectly acceptable,” Nagisa said, doing his best impression of the bartender. Rei frowned, but before he could say anything, Nagisa asked, “Did you lock up out front?”

“Yeah, it’s all closed up. Are you ready?”

Nagisa nodded, “I just need to get the lights.”

Rei hovered around outside while Nagisa finished closing the club up for the night, but Nagisa found himself hesitating as he started locking the door. Was this a bad idea? Rei didn’t seem to have an aggressive bone in his body, and his stiff, awkward manner had helped put him at ease, but this was the same guy that had been unabashedly and unnervingly staring at him for days. And something was still nagging at him. Nagisa cleared his throat as he tested the deadbolt, “So, why didn’t you come talk to me sooner?”

“Ah, actually, about that,” Rei said haltingly. “Yamazaki-san may have threatened to break my arm if I tried to talk to you.”

Nagisa’s eyes went wide, and he had to fight to bite back a laugh, “Sou-chan did?!”

Rei swallowed thickly, “Yes, he and Tachibana-san, ah, confronted me a few nights ago.”

Nagisa crossed his arms over his chest, his lips curling in an amused smile at the thought of Makoto threatening to give someone a beatdown, “But it didn’t make you stop staring at me.”

Rei winced, “It was that obvious?” Nagisa just raised an eyebrow, and Rei dropped his gaze, “You must think I’m a real creep.”

“So prove me wrong.”

It was amazing the way Rei seemed to rise to the challenge, standing up a little taller, a little straighter, and then, inexplicably, he stuck out one of his elbows. It took Nagisa a moment to recognize the gesture, and when he did, he burst out laughing, “Oh my god, Rei-chan, you’ve got to be kidding me.”

“Rei-chan?” Rei squawked, apparently alarmed by the endearment, but when Nagisa obligingly slid his arm into the crook of Rei’s extended elbow, Rei’s shoulders relaxed and the stiff look on his face was replaced by a positively doofy smile. “Shall we?”

Nagisa giggled, nodding his ascent, and they walked arm in arm down the deserted street to the diner. Other than a harried looking waitress and a few obviously drunk people in the back corner, the restaurant was totally empty. They slid into a booth near the door, sitting down across from each other, and when the waitress came to hand them menus, Nagisa just smiled at her, “I’ll have a slice of strawberry pie a la mode, with whipped cream.”

The waitress nodded, then glanced at Rei, “Just coffee for me.”

“Just coffee?” Nagisa said, genuinely surprised.

“I’m not big on sweets,” he admitted.

The waitress started to head back to the kitchen, but Nagisa held out a hand, “Uh, wait just one second please?” She stopped mid-stride, and Nagisa leaned forward on the table, staring hard at Rei like he was trying to read something written on the back of the bartender’s skull. Then, abruptly, he turned back to the waitress, “And can we get a slice of coconut pie, too?”

She nodded and left, and Nagisa turned back to find Rei looking at him skeptically, “What are you, some kind of dessert whisperer?”

“If you don’t like it, I’ll pay for it,” he said with a shrug.

Rei snorted and shook his head, “It’s that important for me to have something sweet?”

“It wouldn’t count as a first date if you didn’t eat something with me.”

Rei coughed, choking on his own spit, then adjusted his glasses, “That’s… well, I suppose I can give it a try, then.”

“Good,” Nagisa said, leaning forward on the table again. “So, tell me about yourself. How’d _you_ wind up working in a strip club?”

Rei leaned back in his seat, relaxing a little, “Honestly? The last place I worked lost their liquor license, and this was the only gig I could find on short notice where they weren’t going to make me barback for a year again.”

“Not something you plan to do long-term, then?”

“I’ve worked in worse places,” Rei said with a shrug, “and the tips are better than I expected.”

“Drunk, horny women can be wonderfully generous.”

Rei laughed, “Evidently so.” The waitress came back with Rei’s coffee and two glasses of water. Rei waved off her offer of cream and sugar before taking a slow sip of his coffee, and Nagisa immediately grabbed his water glass and chugged the whole thing down until the cup was empty and the ice inside clinked and fell in his face. Rei nudged his water glass across the table towards Nagisa, trying to hide a smile, “Thirsty?”

“Parched,” Nagisa said, taking Rei’s glass and sipping the water with a touch more restraint. “I basically worked a double shift tonight, _and_ got stuck on cleaning duty.”

Rei frowned at that, “That’s quite a day. Didn’t you say you have to be up in the morning?”

“In the early afternoon, technically. I have an audition.”

“Oh,” Rei said, brightening, “that’s fantastic. What for?”

“Ah, just a bit part in a production of the Nutcracker this Christmas. Probably a mouse or a soldier. Maybe one of the Arabian dancers if they like me and the lead ballerina is short enough.”

“Short enough?”

“Toe shoes add about three inches to your height,” Nagisa explained, “And they don’t like the ladies to be taller than the guys. I’m definitely on the small side, so if I have a dance partner, she needs to be pretty short, too.”

“That seems a bit silly.”

Nagisa shrugged, “It’s one part aesthetics and one part practicality. I’d have a harder time lifting someone who was 5’10” than 5’0” and it would look awkward as hell. I’d rock those pantaloons, though.”

Rei chuckled, “I’m sure.”

The waitress returned a moment later with their pie. Nagisa pushed his plate aside, though, resting his chin on his hands and watching Rei like a hawk as he gingerly sliced off a little piece. With a skeptical look in Nagisa’s direction, Rei popped the piece of pie in his mouth.

“Oh,” he said, his expression turning thoughtful, “It’s good. Subtle. Not too sweet.”

Nagisa beamed, “I knew it. They actually make their pies fresh here, so they’re better than you’d expect.”

Rei hummed his acknowledgement, eating another (slightly larger) bite of his pie.

They ate together in silence, Nagisa practically inhaling his pie and Rei savoring his like it was a puzzle he needed to solve. Nagisa finished first and sat quietly watching Rei eat. Once again, his eyes were drawn to the bartender’s tattoo, which seemed to come to life every time he moved his arm. When Rei finished his pie, Nagisa reached across the table and took Rei’s hand, pulling his arm toward him across the table. “Nagisa-kun?”

But Nagisa just turned Rei’s hand over so he could see how far the tattoo went around his wrist. “Why ‘Liberation’? Is there a story behind it?”

Rei softened under Nagisa’s gentle scrutiny, allowing him to poke and prod at his arm, “I used to think… You know Plato?”

Nagisa shrugged vaguely, “Shadows on a cave wall?”

“Yeah, that was him,” Rei said with a soft chuckle. He slipped his hand out of Nagisa’s grasp, turning his arm to show where the design started at his wrist – a simple pattern of interlocking triangles. “Plato believed that everything in the world had a perfect form. Like, you can make a chair, but it’s only a flawed imitation of the perfect, eternal concept of _chair_.” He shook his head, frowning at his own explanation, “Anyway, a lot of it boils down to: math is perfect and immutable, and there’s one right, perfect thing to strive for. And, growing up, I always believed that. That there was a perfect form, or technique, or theory – something rigid that I had to master and become. It was… stressful, and demotivating, because it was unobtainable, you know?”

Rei rubbed his wrist thoughtfully, “It was like a cage, really. People always chided me for thinking too hard, for not having any passion or instinct, but for a long time I didn’t understand that, because it was like, what use is passion without form?” He trailed his fingers up along his arm, to where the edges of the triangles started to waver and shift. “Then I met the person who gave me this tattoo. He did not give two shits about rules or order or…” Rei shook his head, smiling fondly, “He was pure instinct, pure passion, and his art was breathtaking. It completely changed the way I looked at the world. To Plato, art is the lowest form of imitation, but suddenly I realized that something doesn’t have to be perfect to be beautiful. That sometimes, if you do everything exactly by the book, it takes the life out of it. The first time I really understood that, it was like someone had unshackled me, like I suddenly had permission not to think so hard or try so hard, like I could just _be_. It’s something I’m still trying to learn. I got this to remind me of where I came from, and what I’m trying to be.”

“Liberated,” Nagisa said admiringly.

“Free,” Rei said, glancing down at the table, a hint of pink in his cheeks.

“Why butterflies?” Nagisa asked eventually. “The original is birds, right?”

“Yeah, the original is birds,” Rei said. “I wish I could say it was something metaphorical – symbolic of my metamorphosis or something – but the truth is I’ve just always loved butterflies.”

“Cute,” Nagisa said with a smile. “Can I see the rest of it?”

“Pardon?”

“I’d love to see the whole thing,” Nagisa said, gesturing broadly to Rei’s tattoo.

“Here?!”

“You’re wearing an undershirt, right?”

“Well, yes, but-”

“Off with it, then!” Rei glanced over his shoulder at the waitress, but Nagisa just laughed, “They aren’t going to kick us out.”

Rei hesitated, but after a moment he unbuttoned his shirt and shrugged it off, revealing a simple black tanktop, and a cascade of fluttering butterflies that spread out over the curve of his shoulder like they’d just been set free. The full effect was more than impressive, and Nagisa let out a low whistle that encompassed both the ink and the broad, muscular shoulder and arm it had been applied to.

“You work out,” Nagisa remarked. Rei shot him a withering look, but Nagisa just laughed, “I’m serious. You make that shirt look _good_.”

For a moment, Rei stared at Nagisa, like he was trying to decide if he was being made fun of, but eventually he just shook his head, “Anyway, why the curiosity? Are you thinking of getting a tattoo?”

“Not any time soon, though I’d like to get another one. I’m just a little worried an obvious tattoo might cost me a gig.”

“You have one already, though?”

“Just one small one,” Nagisa admitted.

“Can I see?”

“It’s stupid,” he said, but laid his arm out, palm up, on the table anyway, showing Rei the three small stars inked in a line down the center of his wrist. “One for each of my sisters, so I always remember I’m not alone.”

Rei reached out and ran his thumb lightly along the stars, “It’s not stupid. I wish my brother and I were close like that.”

“I dunno about _close_ ,” Nagisa laughed, “but we try to be there for each other when it matters.”

“Mm, even so. It’s a good reminder.”

Rei drew gently away, letting go of Nagisa’s wrist, but his fingertips trailed lightly along Nagisa’s palm as they left. Nagisa felt himself flush, and he curled his hand and pulled it back into his lap. “Uhm, do you have a card? For your friend’s tattoo parlor?”

“Yeah, I think so. Why?” Rei asked, but he was already pulling out his wallet to check.

“Rin-chan – er, the guy who does the sexy cop routine? He’s been talking about getting a tattoo, but has been having trouble finding someone who can do what the wants.”

Rei rifled around in his wallet for a moment before pulling out and handing over a slightly battered business card, “What kind of design is er,.. Rin-chan-san looking for?”

Nagisa snorted, putting on an overly formal voice, “Are you referring to Matsuoka Rin-sama?” Rei flushed, and Nagisa giggled, “He wants to get sakura branches on his arms and back, but hasn’t been happy with the level of detail in any of the preliminary designs he’s had done so far.”

“Haru does great detail work,” Rei said proudly.

“I noticed,” Nagisa agreed. After a moment, he added, “It seems like you two are really close.” When Rei nodded, a soft, fond smile on his face, Nagisa tilted his head to one side, curious, “Did you ever date?”

“Hm? Oh, no, not at all. I really admire and respect him, but…” Rei puffed out a laugh, “I still accidentally call him Haruka-senpai sometimes, if that tells you anything.”

“That’s terrible,” Nagisa said with a laugh.

“He thinks so, too,” Rei said, grinning and shaking his head. “Before we started rooming together in college, I was actually getting ready to go to med school, if you can believe it.”

“No kidding.”

“I switched to architecture at the end of the semester, then caved and joined the art program by the end of the year.”

“How come you aren’t working together?”

Rei shrugged, “I’m great with designs, but still working on the actual tattooing people part. Haru says he’ll hire me on full time the day I’m confident enough to give _him_ a tattoo.”

“Harsh.”

“But fair, I think. Like I said, still working on the whole go-with-the-flow thing.” He shook his head, “Anyway, just have Matsuoka-san call that number. Nitori can set up a consultation.”

“Nitori?” Nagisa repeated, the name sounding vaguely familiar. “Wait, not Nitori Aiichirou?!”

“You know Ai?”

“We used to be in dance classes together when we were little. Does he still do ballet?”

“Choreography, actually, when he can find work. He got me a great price on season tickets to the ballet. Front row.”

“That explains how you pegged me for a dancer.”

Rei flushed and started sputtering something about how ballet was beautiful, but was saved by the waitress returning to the table. “Can I get you two anything else?”

Nagisa flashed the waitress a smile. “I’m good. Did you want more coffee, Rei-chan?”

Rei blinked, realizing he’d been saved. “Huh? Uh. Oh, I probably shouldn’t.” His eyes went a little wide, “And you should probably be getting home, right?” He turned to the waitress, “Could I get the check please?”

The waitress nodded and set their receipt face down on the table before turning on her heel and heading back to the kitchen. Rei and Nagisa both reached for it, but Rei was faster, and looked positively triumphant about it. “I invited you, so it’s only right that I should pay.” He pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose, smiling smugly, “Besides, I quite enjoyed the dessert you chose for me, which by your own rules means this counts as our first date.”

“Hmm, so it does,” he hummed in amusement as Rei counted out bills and tossed them onto the table. Nagisa rested his chin on his hands, “So when’s our second date?”

Rei looked surprised, then pleased, “When would you like it to be?”

“Well,” Nagisa said thoughtfully, “I could try to play it cool and wait three days to call you, but then I might run into you at work, and it would be all awkward…” Rei’s brow started to crinkle, like he once again wasn’t quite sure whether or not Nagisa was joking. “How’s tomorrow night?”

Rei started to agree, then frowned, “Actually, I think I’m closing tomorrow.”

“And I have a short shift. Damn.”

“Sunday?”

“Uh,” Nagisa tried to remember what his hours were for Sunday, but his thoughts were interrupted by a jaw-cracking yawn, and he wound up shaking his head, “Shit, I have no idea.”

“Why don’t we trade schedules at work tomorrow?”

“Mm,” Nagisa said, nodding and yawning again, “And I’ll call off the bouncers.”

“How kind,” Rei said dryly.

Nagisa just laughed, “You don’t need to worry about Mako-chan; he wouldn’t hurt a fly. I would avoid messing with Sou-chan regardless, though.”

“Honestly, that doesn’t surprise me. He seems…”

“He’s a puppy once you get to know him. But he has both bark and bite in ample supply.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” Rei said, sliding out of the booth. He retrieved his shirt from the seat and pulled it back on, but didn’t bother buttoning it. “Let’s get you home.”

Nagisa followed Rei out of the booth, and when they stepped out onto the street, he slipped his hand beneath Rei’s outer shirt and slid his arm around the bartender’s waist. Rei instinctively put his arm around Nagisa’s shoulders, and Nagisa cuddled in against him, leaning his head against his chest. “Are you cold?” Rei asked.

“No, but you’re warm.” Rei didn’t respond, but Nagisa looked up in time to catch him smiling before he looked away. They walked all the way back to the darkened club that way, and as they crossed the parking lot toward their cars, Nagisa added a little dreamily, “You smell nice, too.”

He felt the warm puff of a laugh against his scalp, then Rei murmured softly down into his hair, “Do you realize that you’re absolutely covered in glitter?”

“Occupational hazard.”

Rei pulled away a little, looking down at Nagisa, “You okay to get home? You must be exhausted.”

Nagisa nodded, taking a step back and rubbing at his eyes, “I’m okay, I only live a few blocks away. You?”

“I just had a cup of coffee,” he said.

“Right.” Nagisa fished around in his pocket for his keys, then unlocked his car. “I’ll see you tomorrow?”

Rei nodded, “Good luck with your audition.”

Nagisa smiled, soft but genuine, “Thanks, Rei-chan.” He gave the bartender a little wave before climbing into his car, and was secretly pleased when Rei stood there watching until he made it to the street and rounded the corner. When he got home, Nagisa shut his front door and leaned back against it, closing his eyes. He couldn’t quite put a word to why, but he suddenly wished that Rei could see him dance for real.


	2. Entrée (Part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Nagisa shakes his booty, Rei is terribly romantic, and the boys attempt to schedule a second date.
> 
> Written for the Reigisa Celebration Day 18 Prompt: Flowers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy wow you guys, I did NOT expect all the love the first chapter got - thank you so much! This was originally supposed to be a quick little one-shot, but I'm really enjoying the setting and am physically incapable of brevity, so this fic will be... ongoing >> Hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it!

Nagisa wouldn’t say he nailed the audition – not out loud, not even if he was asked. But, privately, he was feeling really good about it. Though he’d only come to audition for the mice and soldier parts, they’d asked him to try out all four of the “world sweets” dances, too. Not only that, but he’d caught wind of a rumor that the woman that had gotten the part for the Arabian dance was unusually small which meant, at least, that he had a chance. It put an obvious spring in his step as he headed in to work.

It was still early in the evening when he got there, which meant the crowd was thin and most of the other dancers hadn’t showed up yet, so Nagisa had the vanity table all to himself. He took full advantage of the situation, spreading out all the makeup and hair products he’d put away the night before and spending a little more time primping than he usually did. He’d washed his hair three times to get out all the glitter Momo had dumped on him, and tonight he took a lighter touch, applying a light glitter dust that made his hair sparkle just a little instead. He brushed the dust strategically along his cheekbones and collarbones, then put on a fine line of eyeliner and clear lip gloss.

He leaned back in his seat to admire himself and, yeah, he looked good tonight.

Good enough that he was a little disappointed when he went out on stage for his first performance of the night and realized that Rei wasn’t there yet. In fact, Rei didn’t show up until half way through his second act and, alarmingly, hardly spared him a glance then, or the third time he went on.

Back stage, Nagisa was left to ponder this sudden change. Sure, he’d chided Rei for staring at him, but now that he’d stopped, Nagisa was hit with the unpleasant realization that, tonight at least, he’d wanted Rei to look. He was just starting to wonder what to do with this newfound discovery when Kisumi appeared behind him, “Yo, Nagi. I know you’re supposed to be done for the night, but are you up for one more?”

Nagisa glanced up at him, “Did someone call off?”

Kisumi rubbed the back of his head, looking sheepish, “Nothing like that. There’s a bachelorette party here and apparently they specifically requested a twerk-off. I asked Rin, but he told me to go fuck myself, and you’re better at it anyway.”

“Oh,” Nagisa said, “Yeah, sure. Uhm, help me find my ‘dukes?”

“You’re the best!” Kisumi said, ruffling his hair.

Nagisa swatted him away, “Watch the hair!” Kisumi laughed, and Nagisa leaned forward and started fussing with his hair in the mirror. His curls were in prime form today, and thankfully Kisumi hadn’t managed to mess them up too bad. Almost the moment he decided he was satisfied with his hair, he got hit in the face with a pair of wadded up jean shorts. “Goddamnit, Kissy!”

“Found ‘em!”

Nagisa sighed. “How soon are we going on?”

“After the next act, if you’re ready to lose.”

“Fat chance. You’ve got nothing on this,” he said, giving his butt a sharp slap.

Kisumi laughed, “You’re on, shorty.”

Nagisa flipped Kisumi the bird, then changed into the ultra-short denim shorts and donned a hot pink crop top tank top that matched his g-string. Kisumi was wearing a similar outfit, but in a vivid turquoise rather than pink. It was a surprisingly nice match for his dusky pink hair, but Nagisa wasn’t about to tell him so – he certainly didn’t need the ego boost.

When the stage cleared out, they waited side by side for their introduction, then waltzed through the curtain to the opening strains of the club’s very own remix of Baby Got Back. Whatever he might have felt about Kisumi, Nagisa had to admit this act was one of his favorites. A lifetime of dance had rewarded him with a fantastically round, muscular ass, and he looked damn good in a pair of booty shorts, if he did say so himself.

Kisumi started off the routine, and they took turns dancing back and forth, shaking their asses and trying to earn the loudest cheers from the audience. For the first few minutes, they seemed about neck and neck, which was how it was supposed to be, but when Nagisa cast a sultry look back over his shoulder and just happened to catch Rei frozen in place staring at him – literally open mouthed – he decided it was time to play dirty. He shot Rei a big wink, and then, though it would have made any one of his formal dancing trainers shed a single golden tear, he twerked his way out of a low crouch, got his footing right, then did a perfect triple pirouette and landed it smoothly into a middle split. The crowd behind him went ballistic, and he gave himself a second to enjoy it before leaning his torso forward, lifting up his hips off the floor, and rewarding the audience with another shake of his booty.

Before the screams and cheers could start to die down, Kisumi hooked his fingers into the belt loop of Nagisa’s shorts and pulled him smoothly back to his feet. They spent the rest of the routine dancing close together, almost grinding, hips thrusting as they helped each other out of their shirts and unbuttoned their shorts, offering tantalizing glimpses of skin and skimpy, neon-colored underwear.

By the time the song ended, the bridal party that had requested the performance had emerged as the clear winners of the contest, and Nagisa and Kisumi both took their bows before heading off stage. As soon as they made it back into the dressing room, Kisumi let out a big laugh, “You were really into it tonight.”

“You called me out,” Nagisa said, flashing him a grin.

“And you cheated,” Kisumi countered, striking a mocking (and really terrible) ballet pose.

“Still won,” he said, buttoning up the front of his shorts and looking around on the floor for the shirt he’d tossed off stage. “You done for the day?”

Kisumi nodded, wiping the sweat off his face with the back of his arm, “Yeah. Gonna try asking Makoto out again tonight.”

“Maybe towel off and put on some deodorant first, eh?”

Kisumi winked and stuck out his tongue, “You don’t think he wants to see me all sweaty?”

“I don’t think he wants to see you at all, but I know you won’t listen to me.”

Kisumi just laughed, heading back to the locker room while Nagisa pulled on his shirt. Nagisa gave himself a cursory glance in the mirror, but almost as soon as Kisumi disappeared around the corner, he called back, “Hey Nagi, something you ought to see over here.”

Curiosity piqued, Nagisa peeked around the corner, only to find Kisumi gesturing toward the lockers. He took another few steps, and realized it was _his_ locker that Kisumi was pointing at, and that there was a pretty white flower threaded through the lock. “Looks like I’m not the only one hoping to get lucky tonight,” Kisumi quipped, pulling his own locker open.

Nagisa stepped past him and lifted the flower gently out of the lock. It was beautiful and fragrant, on a short stem with a few waxy green leaves, and Nagisa had just a moment to wonder where it had come from before heat rushed into his face. It hadn’t been here when he’d gotten here, and had appeared, presumably, some time since Rei had arrived. “Do you know what kind of flower this is?” He asked dumbly, because it wasn’t one he’d seen before, and Rei was definitely the kind of person to take stock in flower meanings.

Kisumi looked up from toweling off his face, but just shrugged. “Doesn’t look like a rose.”

“Thanks,” he said flatly, putting the combination into his lock and pulling it open. When he tugged open the door to his locker, he found a folded piece of paper stuck in one of the vents, which was so terribly high school that he found himself blushing all over again, and put his hand to his mouth to cover his smile. When he unfolded the note, he found that the paper simply said “Dinner?” followed by a phone number and a detailed work schedule for the next two weeks.

Nagisa put the note in his pocket, then fished around in his locker for his phone. It took a few minutes of searching (types of flowers, white flowers, fragrant white flowers, gardenia meaning, flower meaning gardenia), but when he got there, he had to sit down.

_“You’re lovely,” a symbol of a secret love._

He’d been planning on just going back out to see Rei in the shorts and the crop top, just to be scandalous, just to tease, but now… He set down his phone and pawed frantically at his gym bag, trying to find something appropriate to wear. Something respectable, yet sexy. He got as far as squeezing into a pair of skinny jeans, but he had not packed his bag for a date night, he had packed his bag for an audition, for work, and for a night on the sofa with a tub of strawberry ice cream. He had not remotely expected surprise flowers, let alone very well thought-out, _very romantic_ flowers.

“Oi, Nagisa, you alright?”

Nagisa looked up, wide eyed. Kisumi had already left, and Rin was leaning over him, looking a little worried. “Rin, I need to borrow your shirt.”

“Haah?”

Nagisa clapped his hands together, pleading, “Please let me borrow your shirt.”

“What shirt? This?” He pulled at the cop outfit, looking skeptical.

“No, your _shirt_ , the-” Realizing it was hopeless, Nagisa pushed past him, heading back into the dressing room. He pulled Rin’s black racerback off the back of his chair and held it up. “ _This_ shirt!”

Rin leaned nonchalantly against the wall that divided the dressing room from the lockers, looking at Nagisa like he’d lost his goddamn mind – and maybe he had – but Rin just shrugged, “Whatever, man. Just put it back when you’re done, I guess?”

“Thank you,” Nagisa said, tugging the shirt over his head. It was too big in just the right way – the way he knew showed off his collarbones and shoulders, but not so oversized that it looked frumpy, and about 800% less trashy than the crop top.

Rin made a thoughtful sound, “Looks good on you. I’m on in a minute, but good luck with… whatever.”

“Next round’s on me,” Nagisa said, beaming at him.

Rin just gave a little salute and headed for the stage.

Nagisa raced back into the locker area, shoving his gym bag back in his locker and locking it, then gently picked up the gardenia from where he’d left it on the gym bench. Taking a deep breath to steady his resolve, he headed back to the vanity and spent a few minutes in front of the mirror carefully pinning the flower behind his ear, fixing his hair, and touching up his slightly sweat-smeared makeup.

Resolved that he looked as good as he was going to without a trip home, Nagisa headed out into the main area of the club through a side door and headed toward the bar. It was crowded – the bachelorette party was making the very most of their night out – but when he was just a few feet away, Rei suddenly turned toward him – magnetic – and smiled. That smile shouldn’t have felt as good as it did, shouldn’t have made Nagisa’s chest feel tight, but it did. When Rei’s eyes found the flower in Nagisa’s hair, his lips parted in a soft, surprised _oh_ , and he took a step toward him. Before either of them could say anything, though, one of the customers at the bar drew Rei’s attention away.

Nagisa weaseled his way onto one of the few empty barstools at the far end of the bar. He didn’t want to interrupt Rei’s work, and he was obviously really busy, but he felt like he needed to say something. Thank you, maybe. And then he remembered Rei’s note, which at the absolute least he needed to reciprocate. He leaned forward and reached behind the bar, retrieving a white cocktail napkin, and had just realized he didn’t have a pen when someone put their hand on his arm.

“Oh my god, that move was _amazing!_ ”

Right. Rule number one: never go into the club right after an act. Nagisa turned and smiled, “I’m glad you enjoyed the show.”

It turned out the woman was actually the bride-to-be, and she and two of the other bridesmaids (all well past tipsy) made flirty small talk with him until the maid of honor (sober, apologetic) showed up to drag them away. Before they disappeared, Nagisa asked, “Hey, do any of you have a pen I could borrow?”

The maid of honor’s face lit up, and she pulled a pen out of her purse and handed it to him. It had the logo and phone number of some construction company printed on it, and she flashed him a smile and said, “Keep it!” before steering her friends away from the bar.

When Nagisa turned around, Rei was still busy, but his cocktail napkin now had a very pretty pink drink sitting on it, complete with a pink paper umbrella and a fanned out strawberry. There was also a tall glass of ice water next to it, which brought a smile to Nagisa’s lips. It was a little thing, but a thoughtful one. Attentive. He sipped the water slowly, letting his eyes linger, unabashedly, on the bartender. It was the first time he’d seen him working up close, and Rei was obviously in his element, mixing drinks and pouring flashily. He seemed more confident here, edging on cocky, and Nagisa found that he liked the slightly arrogant way Rei carried himself when he was the center of attention. The first time Rei caught him staring, Nagisa glanced away quickly, like they hadn’t already been playing this game for a week.

Looking down at his drink reminded Nagisa why he’d come out here in the first place, though, and he reached back behind the counter and grabbed another napkin, scribbling down a quick response: “You’ll have to ask me in person” followed by his phone number and his schedule for the rest of the week. He turned the napkin so Rei could see and read the note in passing, then picked up the drink Rei had made him and took a sip.

His eyes went wide. If Nagisa was a dessert whisperer, Rei was obviously some kind of booze wizard. The drink tasted exactly like strawberry shortcake, with just a hint of a burn. Perfect. He took another sip, drinking leisurely and enjoying watching Rei work. They kept catching each other’s eyes, trading winks and smiles, but every time it seemed like Rei was about to be free enough to come talk, someone else would tap Nagisa’s shoulder or grab his arm or lean in a little too close, and by the time he managed to shrug them off and disengage, Rei would be busy again.

Before he knew it, it had been almost an hour. Rei had picked up the note and given Nagisa a look that was both apologetic and pleading. It was getting late, and Nagisa was getting hungry and sick of people talking to him, but when Rei held up a finger, signaling for him to wait just one more minute, he decided to give it a little longer.

...After five minutes, he decided that maybe he didn’t need to wait. Maybe he just needed to make Rei pay attention.

He leaned forward on the bar and waited. By now, he knew that Rei’s eyes would flick toward him every few minutes like clockwork, and this time when they did, Nagisa gave him his best bedroom eyes and licked his lips, slowly.

…and Rei dropped the glass he was holding.

He apologized profusely to the person he’d been serving, then hurriedly cleaned up the mess. Instead of bustling back past Nagisa after dumping out the broken glass, though, he stopped right in front of him and leaned in close, his hand brushing gently against Nagisa’s neck to draw him closer. Then he whispered, right in Nagisa’s ear, “Let me take you to dinner.”

Those words said so close, the slightly husky tinge to his voice, the heat of Rei’s breath and the brush of his lips on Nagisa’s ear sent shivers racing all the way down to his toes, making him gasp. Rei pulled back a little, looking for a yea or nay, but Nagisa reached up and curled his fingers in Rei’s hair, stopping him from escaping and pulling him back, crushing their lips together.

Rei made a startled sound, but after a moment his fingertips slid up into Nagisa’s hair, gently cupping his head. His thumb brushed lightly against Nagisa’s jaw, and he tipped his head to one side, leaning into the kiss, and oh my god, his mouth was electric, sweet but insistent, his lips soft and skillful and hot, and when his tongue teased over Nagisa’s bottom lip, it was all he could do not to climb over the bar, push Rei bodily to the ground, and start ripping his clothes off right then and there.

Nagisa pulled back with a gasp, breathless, lips swollen and cheeks flushed. Rei looked just as disheveled, and it was a very, very good look on him. “How about brunch? Tomorrow morning?”

Rei nodded, looking dazed, “I’ll text you when I’m on my break.”

Nagisa smiled brightly, leaning in to kiss him again – quick and sweet – then whispered, “Thanks for the drink.”

Rei touched his lips as Nagisa withdrew, a hesitant smile pulling at his lips, but before Nagisa could get far, Rei called after him, “Wait!”

Nagisa stopped and turned, looking back at him questioningly.

“How’d your audition go?”

Nagisa beamed back at him, “I totally nailed it.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [This](http://virginpornographer.tumblr.com/post/95696623508/my-anaconda-dont-ft-dreik) lovely little piece of (NSFWish) art showed up on my tumblr dash while I was in the middle of writing Nagisa's dance scene, and I shamelessly and gleefully re-gifted Nagisa the outfit.
> 
> Brace yourselves, the next chapter is going to be a long one. theshannonlewis on twitter and tumblr.


	3. Adagio

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Rin is worrisome, everyone goes out for drinks, and Rei makes an impression.

Brunch turned out to be a bust; just before their scheduled meeting time, Rei got an emergency call from his dad asking him to pick up his mother from the airport. Worse still, between conflicting work schedules, Nagisa’s classes and rehearsals, and a litany of small emergencies (Nagisa’s sister’s babysitter cancelling at the last minute, Ai calling in sick and Haru needing Rei to cover his shift, Nagisa’s other sister’s car breaking down on the way to work, Rei’s cat vomiting profusely) more than a week passed without a second date.

It might have seemed like a mutual brush-off if they hadn’t been texting each other near constantly all week. Their budding relationship had turned into something of a joke back stage as Nagisa’s penguin-honk text alert noise went from mildly endearing to borderline maddening. It didn’t help when Kisumi stole his phone and changed the noise to a soft, effeminate moan and Nagisa left it that way out of spite.

Nagisa had just shoved his bag into his locker when his back pocket moaned. Makoto stiffened next to him, freezing in the middle of taking off his shirt. “I wish you would change that, Nagisa.”

“Sorry, Mako-chan,” Nagisa said, turning down the volume on his phone as he sat down in front of his locker.

Rei-chan~♥: Good news! I managed to trade away the latter portion of my shift this evening, so I will be getting off work only an hour after you

Me: OMG REI-CHAN THATS AWESOME!!!! (ﾉ´ヮ´)ﾉ*:･ﾟ✧

Rei-chan~♥: I was thinking perhaps we could go for a late dinner?

Nagisa had just started to type out an enthusiastic YES when his phone started buzzing in his hand.

Me: 1 sec, phone

He answered the call and put the phone to his ear, “Hey Rin-chan, what’s up?”

“Yo, I just wanted to see if you had plans tonight. Was thinking maybe we could go out for drinks.”

Nagisa’s friend-sense tingled. Something was off. “What time do you get off work?”

“Huh? Oh, uh, I’m not coming in tonight.”

Makoto, now dressed for work, started to step past Nagisa to head out to the floor, but Nagisa grabbed the back of his shirt. Makoto stopped and shot him a questioning look, and Nagisa asked, “Oh, really? I thought you were on the schedule.” He raised his eyebrows at Makoto in question, and Makoto immediately frowned and nodded his agreement. Nagisa was pretty sure Rin was supposed to be there _now_.

“I guess some stuff got shuffled around at the last minute or something,” Rin said, and it was such a transparent lie that Nagisa knew something was really wrong.

“I must not have seen the updated schedule,” Nagisa provided. Makoto sat down next to him, looking worried.

“Yeah, probably.”

“Anyway, I just got to work, but I’m doing the early shift tonight, so maybe we can meet up after?” Nagisa said.

“So, like nine?”

“Maybe nine thirty, so I have time to get there,” Nagisa said. Makoto pointed at himself questioningly, and Nagisa added, “Do you want to make it a group thing? I could invite some more guys from work.”

“Yeah,” Rin said, his voice a little distant, “Yeah, that would be great. Uh, but don’t invite Kisumi, okay?”

“RinRin, would I _ever_?”

Rin snorted out a little half laugh, “Fair enough.”

“Hey, do you have any other plans for the evening?”

“Uh, not really?”

“Why don’t you swing by that tattoo parlor I told you about? I know they’re open today, so maybe you could get your consult and get everyone’s opinion tonight, since you’re free anyway?”

Rin made a soft, surprised sound, then after a moment said, “Yeah, okay. That’s… that’s actually a good idea.”

Nagisa smiled, not quite letting himself sigh in relief, “9:30? At O’Malley’s, yeah?”

“Yeah.”

“Oh,” Nagisa added, wincing a little, “is it okay if I invite Rei-chan, too? He hasn’t had a chance to meet most of the guys yet.”

Rin snorted, “Only if it means your phone won’t be moaning at me all night.”

“You’re the best.”

“I know,” Rin said, then added, with sincerity that was a little unsettling, “Thanks, Nagisa,” before hanging up without saying goodbye. Nagisa clicked off his phone and puffed out a big sigh.

“What happened?” Makoto asked.

“I dunno, but he sounds…” He sounded dark and on edge, in the slow-sinking way he did when something really bad happened, when he didn’t want anyone to know, but needed someone to tell. Nagisa shook his head, “He sounds like he could use the company.”

Makoto nodded, “I have the twins tonight, so I can’t stay long, but I’ll stop by.”

“Can you ask Sou-chan, too?”

“I’ll make sure he goes.”  
  
“Thanks. I can round up some of the other guys. Oh,” Nagisa glanced around quickly, then leaned in and said quietly, “No Kisumi, though, okay?” Makoto looked mildly affronted, like he wanted to object to the exclusion, but Nagisa crossed his arm over his chest, “Rin-chan said.”

“But Kisumi always invites us along when he’s doing something,” Makoto said.

“No, Mako-chan, he always invites _you_ along because he wants to get in your pants.”

Makoto flushed bright red, all the way up to his ears, “That’s not-!”

“Don’t you dare say it isn’t true,” Nagisa said, holding up a finger, and Makoto crumpled a little.

“He’s just… very friendly.”

“You can think what you want, Mako-chan, but no invite. Not tonight, okay?”

“Okay. He was fine with Ryugazaki-san coming, though?”

This time it was Nagisa’s turn to blush, “He said he didn’t want to hear my text noise all night.” Makoto burst out laughing, and Nagisa puffed his cheeks out in a pout, “I wouldn’t have asked, but I don’t want to blow him off again, okay? He changed his schedule tonight so we could finally go out.”

Makoto sobered abruptly, tilting his head and giving Nagisa an appraising look, “You really like him, huh?”

Nagisa twisted his hands together, looking down at his feet, “Yeah, I kinda do.”

Makoto reached over and ruffled Nagisa’s hair, “Have Rin give him a good dress-down for me, okay?”

“Rude,” Nagisa said, swatting Makoto’s hand away, but he was smiling.

“I’ve got to get out there, but let me know if you hear anything else, okay?”

“Yeah, sure thing Mako-chan.”

Makoto patted Nagisa’s shoulder before heading out of the locker area. When he was gone, Nagisa took a deep breath and looked down at the black screen of his phone, trying desperately to think of a way to sell Rei on the idea of a group outing. He knew Rei would be disappointed. Hell, _he_ was disappointed – he wanted nothing more than a nice long dinner by candlelight and maybe a slow, sweet goodnight kiss. But Rin was family, and family came first. Nagisa ran his hand back through his hair, sighed, then turned his phone on and started typing out a message.

He’d hardly tapped in two words when the back door of the club banged shut, startling him so badly he nearly dropped his phone. He whipped around, looking to see who had just come in, and found Rei standing just inside the doorway, bag slung over his shoulder.

“Everything okay?” Rei asked, and Nagisa sucked in a breath. Rei had seen him unguarded for maybe half a second (from behind, no less), but somehow he knew.

Nagisa did his best to smile anyway, “Yeah, you just startled me. I just got off the phone with Rin-chan.”

“Oh, is he running late?”

Yeah, Rin was full of shit. If anyone knew the current, most up-to-date version of the schedule, it was Rei. “Actually, he’s not coming in.” Rei’s brow crinkled in confusion, but Nagisa powered through, “He was calling around to invite everyone out for drinks tonight.”

“Oh,” Rei said, the sound laced with just the subtlest hint of disappointment, and something else Nagisa couldn’t quite identify.

“Anyway, I was just thinking… We’ve been texting so much that everyone knows I’m seeing someone, but none of them have really gotten a chance to meet you.” He glanced up at Rei, “So I thought maybe we could go together, so I can show you off?”

He didn’t quite hit the level of enthusiasm he was aiming for, and he could see the wheels turning in Rei’s head. For a second, he was sure Rei was going to get mad, or say no, or confront him, or something. But then Rei’s slightly perplexed, slightly worried expression shifted into an arrogant smirk, and he pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose, “Taking me home to meet the family already, Nagisa-kun?”

Nagisa couldn’t help it. His face split into a radiant smile and he charged forward, throwing himself bodily into Rei’s arms. Rei caught him with a yelp, staggering back a little as Nagisa wrapped his legs around his waist, but any protest he might have made was cut off when Nagisa leaned down and kissed him full on the mouth. Nagisa was still smiling when he pulled back, eyes closed and voice soft as he pressed his forehead down against Rei’s, “Next time I’m going to take you somewhere fancy, just the two of us.”

“Mmm, and what do I need to do to secure this delightful-sounding third date?”

“Just keep being perfect,” Nagisa breathed, leaning down to kiss him again.

Just as their lips touched, someone called from somewhere behind them, “Nagisacchi!” Nagisa pulled back and glanced over his shoulder to find Momo standing a few feet away, evidently completely unperturbed by the fact that he’d walked in on them, “Oh, hey Reicchi, didn’t see you!” Rei’s face went beet red, and he hastily lowered Nagisa back to his feet, but Momo didn’t stop talking, “Do you know if you fit in the fireman costume? Apparently Rin-senpai isn’t coming in tonight, so we’re trying to reshuffle the schedule.”

“You could probably fit two of me in that outfit,” Nagisa said, giving Rei’s hand an apologetic squeeze. Rei pressed a quick kiss to Nagisa’s cheek before slipping past him toward the locker area, and Nagisa couldn’t help but follow him with his eyes, even as he turned to face Momo. “I don’t think anyone but Kisumi has been able to wear it since Mako-chan quit dancing.”

“Yeah, but Kissy is filling in for Rin-senpai’s cop routine,” Momo said, deflating. Then, like the idea had just hit him, “Do you think Tachibana-san would do it?”

Nagisa laughed, “Yeah, no. Definitely not.”

“What’re we gonna do?” Momo whined.

“Uhm, do you know if the sailor suits are back from the drycleaners?”

“Ooh, great idea! We haven’t done that bit in forever!” Momo said, and there was so much enthusiasm in his voice that Nagisa found himself grinning back at him.

“Let’s do it, yeah?”

He held up his hands, and Momo slapped his palms before jetting off back to the dressing room, “I’ll go find the costumes!”

“Sailor suits?” Rei asked, tying his apron on as he walked back toward Nagisa.

“Aye, aye, Captain,” Nagisa said, clicking his heels together and giving Rei a jaunty little salute. Much to Nagisa’s surprise, Rei turned a little pink. Interesting. He bit back a smile and said, “Have you ever been to O’Malley’s?”

“I don’t believe so, no.”

“I need to go get changed, but I’ll text you the address, okay? I’m going to meet Rin-chan there at 9:30, but you can just head over when your shift ends.”

“Alright,” Rei said, “I look forward to it.”

“Me, too,” Nagisa said with a smile, realizing he meant it.

 

* * *

 

They managed to make it through the night without an obvious break in the lineup, despite the fact that Rin had clearly failed to actually call in, let alone make any attempt to fill his shift. Between arranging the impromptu get-together, covering Rin’s ass, and making calls to try to find _someone_ who was willing to come in an hour or two early, Nagisa’s shift absolutely flew by. Before he knew it, he was running late, with less than 20 minutes to get home, get changed, and make it to the bar.

Worse, his unusually rigorous shift had left him positively revolting with sweat, and Rin or no Rin, this was a _date_ and there was _no way_ he was showing up looking even a fraction as schlummy as he had when Rei had taken him to the diner. Nagisa parked hastily outside his apartment building and took the stairs up to his studio two at a time. He kicked the door shut behind him and dropped his bag next to his futon, then made a beeline for the bathroom, stripping out of his sweats and taking a fast, hot shower.

Ordinarily, he wouldn’t have dared get his hair wet when he was running late, but Nagisa was determined to smell like a goddamn flower tonight, so under the spray his hair went. As soon as he was clean, he raced around his tiny apartment, roughly toweling his hair dry and digging through his clothes, looking for something date appropriate.

Even though there was virtually no chance that Rei was going to be getting him out of his pants tonight, and even though he’d seen Nagisa in his underwear practically every single day since before they’d formally met, Nagisa still found himself hesitating as he stared down into his underwear drawer. He skipped over all the “work” underwear instinctively, but waffled between his favorite yellow penguin print boxers and something a little slinkier and more form fitting. After a good solid minute, he swore under his breath, grabbed a pair of underwear, and pulled it on, trying really hard not to think about just how out of practice he was with the whole dating thing.

He spent a full five minutes staring blankly into the big baby blue wardrobe in the corner of his studio before digging his phone out of his discarded sweatpants.

His sister answered after three rings, obviously stifling a yawn, “Nagisa? Is everything alright?”

Nagisa winced, “Yeah, I’m okay. I didn’t wake the baby, did I?”

“No, no, you’re fine,” she said, but her voice was quiet. A moment later, he heard a door shut, and she asked at a more normal level, “What’s going on?”

Nagisa leaned back against his armoire and slid down to the floor, “I have a date tonight, and I have no idea what to wear.”

She didn’t quite manage to stifle her laugh, “Oh, Nagi. Is it the bartender you were telling me about?”

“Yeah,” Nagisa said, twirling a strand of his damp hair around his finger, “He traded shifts at work so we could go out tonight.”

“I guess I sort of owe you, since I made you cancel on him the other day. So, bring me up to speed.”

“Uhm, it’s going to be a group thing, at a bar, so pretty casual I guess?”

“Are you planning on sleeping with him tonight?”

“Nanako!”

“Hey, I’m just asking. It’s an important detail.”

Nagisa put his hand over his face, “No, I’m not planning on sleeping with him tonight.”

“So what kind of vibe are you trying to put out?”

Nagisa chewed his lip, shifting his phone from one ear to the other. After a moment, he said quietly, “I want to look good, but I don’t want him to think I’m a slut just because I’m a stripper.”

“Nagi…”

“Just, what do I wear?”

His sister went quiet on the other end of the line, and Nagisa was relieved to realize she was at least taking him seriously. “Do you still have that blue plaid flannel I got you last Christmas?”

“Yeah, I think so…” Nagisa said, pushing to his knees and shuffling through his shirts. “Yeah, I found it.”

“Okay, wear that with your tightest pair of skinny jeans.”

Nagisa got to his feet, pulling the shirt off its hanger and holding it up to his chest, “You don’t think it’s a little too… ‘hi, I work at a really douchey coffee shop’?”

His sister barked out a laugh. “Do you have a better idea?”

Nagisa sighed, “No.”

“It’s casual but classy, and warm enough that you won’t have to wear a coat over it.”

“How many buttons should I unbutton?”

“That’s up to you, but if it’s more than one, you should wear a black shirt underneath.”

“Okay. What about shoes?”

She laughed, “Something colorful, just so he knows it’s still you.”

“Very funny.” He sighed, waiting for her laughter to die down, then added, “Thanks, Neechan.”

“Any time kiddo. Oh, but Nagisa?”

“Yeah?”

“Black boxer briefs. Something silky. No wild colors. Just in case.”

Nagisa hung up the phone without saying goodbye, blushing furiously as he changed out of his bright blue-and-fuchsia briefs and into a pair of short-cut, all-black boxer briefs. He shimmied into his jeans, spent too much time on his hair, then pulled on a black shirt and the flannel over it. Unbuttoned was too casual, buttoned all the way up too stuffy, and either way the shirt was a little on the long side, which was why he didn’t wear it very often. Eventually he settled for knotting the ends of the shirt together and cuffing the sleeves up to his elbows. Nanako hadn’t said anything about socks, but as revenge for the snipe about his underwear, he put on a pair of pastel pink ankle socks with little yellow stars printed on them. Then he imagined himself wearing nothing but those socks and his underwear, tore them off, and stuffed his bare feet into his bright yellow slip ons.

It definitely wasn’t the worst outfit he’d ever worn. He probably wouldn’t ever tell Nanako, but he was pretty sure this was exactly what he’d been going for.

Nagisa grabbed his phone, wallet, and keys, locked up his apartment, and headed outside. The bar was only a few blocks away from his building, so even though it would take a little longer to get there, he opted to walk rather than drive. At the very least, he wouldn’t have to fight to find a parking space or run the risk of having to leave his car overnight if he wound up drinking too much.

It was just after 9:45 when he finally made it to the bar, and he was clearly one of the last people there. Momo was making his rounds, doing shots with a few people Nagisa recognized from work and several he didn’t. Nagisa went up on his toes and found Makoto, Rin, and Sousuke sitting clustered together at the bar on the far end of the building, and he picked his way through the crowd toward them. Sousuke was sitting with his chin on his hand, watching Rin tell some story, but Makoto glanced over when Nagisa got close. Nagisa put his finger to his lips quickly, and Makoto stopped just short of waving, which gave Nagisa the perfect opportunity to sneak up behind Rin and put his hands over his eyes. Rin started a little, and Nagisa leaned over his shoulder, putting on his deepest, gruffest voice, “Guess who.”

But Rin just swatted him away, “About time you showed up, short stuff.”

Nagisa grinned and put his chin on Rin’s shoulder, “What’d I miss?”

“About two rounds,” Rin said, holding up a mostly-empty pint. A quick glance to either side showed that Sousuke was drinking his customary glass of water and that Makoto hadn’t even touched his beer, but Rin looked (and smelled) like he’d gotten started early. In fact, Rin looked like he was wearing yesterday’s sweaty shirt, and it seemed like a safe bet that he was wearing that cute black hat to cover up his dirty hair.

Nagisa reached past him and plucked Rin’s drink out of his hands. “I guess I’d better catch up, then,” he said, stepping back and draining the glass. The service was notoriously terrible here – especially if you were paying with crumpled, sweaty g-string bills – so this was as good a way as any to cut Rin off, at least for a little while.

“Hey,” Rin protested, turning around on his barstool and grabbing for his glass. When he saw Nagisa, though, his tone turned appraising, “Heeey, what’s the occasion?” Nagisa resolutely _refused_ to be embarrassed. It wasn’t THAT obvious he was dressed up, was it? Rin’s forehead crinkled, “Did you let Nanako dress you again?”

“Careful RinRin. Say her name two more times and she’ll crawl out from under the bar and start critiquing your life decisions,” he said, setting Rin’s empty glass back down on the bar.

Rin laughed a little too loudly, and Nagisa sat down on the barstool next to Makoto, hastily changing the subject, “You know, Momo-chan almost asked you to come out of retirement tonight, Mako-chan.”

“He what?” Makoto said, looking genuinely startled.

“We still haven’t found a decent fireman to replace you,” Nagisa said, tapping his lips thoughtfully. “No one knows how to handle a big hose quite like you, Mako-chan,” He said, shooting Makoto a wink.

It wasn’t the nicest thing he’d ever done, throwing Makoto under the bus like that, but it did deflect the conversation away from his own choice in attire. “Is that why you keep brushing Kisumi off, Makoto?” Rin asked, “Because his hose-handling skills aren’t up to par?”

Makoto flushed, but apparently wasn’t quite as flustered as he looked, because he fired back, “You’d know better than I would.”

“Oh?” Sousuke said, leaning forward to look past Rin, who was shooting a scandalized look at Makoto.

Makoto just smiled, “How many times did he ask you out before you said yes, Rin? I can’t remember.”

“I never said yes!” Rin snapped, then turned to Sousuke and said more seriously, “I never said yes.”

“Right, right,” Makoto said, like he’d just remembered an important detail, “It wasn’t a date, you just both happened to go to the same movie at the same time.”

“That’s ri-”  

“…and come out of the theater together with sex hair,” Nagisa added cheerily.

Rin put his face in his hands, leaning forward on the bar, “I swear to god, we just ran into each other at the mall.”

“I’m sure,” Sousuke said sympathetically, “That casual acquaintance sex hair is the worst.”

Rin laid himself out on the bar, hiding his face in his arms, “That thirsty fucker tried to put his hand down my pants during the previews. The _previews!_ ”

“You know, you could have just left,” Makoto said, hiding a smile behind his hand.

“What, and waste the $15 I spent on the ticket?” He shook his head, sitting back up and running his hand down his face, “I moved down a seat, and he lifted up the arm rests and went to sleep with his head in my lap.”

“He didn’t!” Makoto gasped.

“He totally did,” Nagisa said, grabbing Makoto’s beer and taking a sip. “I’m not warning you off him for nothing, you know.”

“I know, I know,” Makoto said, “But I can’t just be rude to him. We work together, and his little brother is friends with Ren and Ran.”

“No shit?” Rin said.

Makoto nodded, “They go to the same school and have sleepovers sometimes.”

“Christ, I can’t imagine anyone letting Kisumi near a kid,” Rin said.

“You’d think so,” Makoto countered, “But he’s actually very sweet with Hayato-kun.” He took his beer back from Nagisa, taking a little sip and mumbling, much more quietly, “It’s one of his few redeeming qualities.”

“Ooh, sick burn,” Nagisa said with a grin.

Makoto grimaced, looking like he was about to apologize for saying it out loud, when Rin interrupted him, “I don’t think that was really a burn.”

“It was a Mako-burn,” Nagisa said confidently.

“Polite but devastating,” Sousuke agreed. Makoto covered his face with his hands and groaned, but Sousuke just leaned forward, grinning, “You know, he did that to a rowdy customer once.”

“Did what?” Rin asked, “A… Mako-burn?”

Sousuke nodded, looking positively gleeful, then launched into a story about how Makoto had given a very drunk, very belligerent woman the world’s classiest and most polite-yet-scathing dress down when she’d grabbed onto Momo’s g-string so hard it had ripped. It was a good story, but one Nagisa had heard before, and between the ambient noise of the bar and the two people between them, it was hard to catch Sousuke’s low, rumbling voice.

Nagisa slipped his phone out of his pocket to check the time and realized he must have left the sound turned off, because he had a missed text from Rei announcing that the was on his way. After that, it was even harder to pay attention to his friends, preoccupied as he was with glancing over his shoulder at the door.

Then, after a dozen fruitless glances, Nagisa turned just as the door was opening, and he saw Rei step in out of the darkened street. “Oh no,” Nagisa breathed, drawing Makoto’s attention. “He’s _hot_.”

Despite all the time he’d spent thinking about his _own_ outfit for the night, it had not once occurred to Nagisa that he had yet to see Rei wearing anything but his work clothes. The deep navy blue button down he was wearing was not worlds different from his black bartending shirt, and he had the sleeves rolled up the same way, but the color was half a shade darker than his hair and brought out the purple in his eyes. He’d also left the top two buttons undone, which showed off just enough skin to make Nagisa want to unbutton the rest of them. He was also wearing a gray-and-lavender pinstriped vest that would have been a lot dressier if he’d buttoned it up, and a loose bolo tie that Nagisa found himself wanting to tug the rest of the way off. The crowning glory, though, was that instead of his matchy-matchy black slacks, Rei was wearing a pair of wine colored skinny jeans that looked like they’d been painted on, and white wingtip shoes that would have looked unfathomably douchey if they’d been worn with just an ounce less confidence.

Nagisa put his hand on Makoto’s arm, “Pray for my chastity.”

“It’s a little late for that,” Makoto quipped, turning to follow Nagisa’s gaze, “don’t you thi- Oh. Oh, wow.” Makoto hastily turned back to face the bar, muttering under his breath, “I’ve only seen him from the waist up before.”

“You’re telling me,” Nagisa breathed, standing up and raising his hand to flag Rei down. Rei spotted Nagisa and stopped short, freezing for just a second before returning Nagisa’s wave and making his way toward the bar. Nagisa cast a glance back at Makoto, “You gonna be okay?”

Makoto grunted, taking a big gulp of his beer.

Nagisa took a few steps toward Rei, unable to keep the smile off his face as he closed the distance between them. “Thank you for coming,” he said, running his hands lightly over the edges of Rei’s vest. “You look amazing.”

“You took the words right out of my mouth,” Rei said, his voice a little breathless. Before Nagisa could say anything, Rei produced a small yellow flower from behind his back. The blossom had a vaguely round shape and was made up of dozens of tiny, delicate looking petals. It looked like a drop of pure summer sunshine.

Nagisa smiled even wider, leaning forward to smell the flower. It didn’t have a strong scent – just soft and green – but Nagisa couldn’t have been happier, “It’s beautiful.”

Rei lifted the flower, gesturing toward Nagisa’s ear, “May I?”

Nagisa pulled his hair back, letting Rei tuck the flower gently behind his ear. He couldn’t resist touching it, just lightly, when Rei’s hand pulled away. Nagisa was about to thank him again when Makoto cleared his throat behind him.

“Ryugazaki-san,” Makoto said, giving a small bow of his head, “I wanted to apologize for my behavior toward you the other day.”

“Oh, uh, I mean, that’s perfectly alright,” Rei said, “I completely understand that you were simply looking out for Nagisa-kun.” He glanced down before raising his eyes up to meet Makoto’s, “I apologize if my behavior came off as unsavory.”

“Just as long as you treat him right,” Makoto said, holding his hand out. Rei grasped Makoto’s hand, shaking it, and… was Makoto putting the squeeze on him?

“I fully intend to,” Rei countered, with maybe the faintest hint of strain in his voice, and Nagisa realized that yes, this was going on way too long to be anything but a bone-crushing intimidation tactic on Makoto’s part. Nagisa was sorely tempted to slap their hands apart, but Rei wasn’t backing down. “He deserves nothing but the best.”

“Yes,” Makoto agreed, finally letting Rei’s hand go, “He does.”

But after that, Makoto’s expression returned to its usual gentle smile, “I actually need to head out now. I’m supposed to be watching my younger siblings this evening, but I didn’t want to leave without at least saying hello.”

“Er, hello,” Rei said.

“You’re welcome to my seat if you want it,” Makoto said, then turned and clapped Rin on the back, “I’ll see you at work tomorrow?”

Rin lifted his head from what was evidently a deeply engrossing conversation with Sousuke, “Huh? Yeah, probably. Oh, hey, the creep is here!” He stood, holding his arms out to Rei in what was probably supposed to look like a friendly gesture. Makoto gave Nagisa a small wave and a thumbs up, then made a beeline for the door.

“Creep?” Rei asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Yeah, creep,” Rin said, throwing his arm around Rei’s shoulder, “I’ve never seen anyone stare at someone like you stare at Nagisa.”

“You must not be looking very hard, then,” Rei shot back without hesitation, “Because Yamazaki-san looks at you the same way whenever you come on stage.”

Sousuke choked, coughing and spitting water onto the bartop, and Nagisa tried and failed to stifle a laugh.

Rin’s eyes went a little wide, surprise plain on his face for just a moment before it split into a grin, “I like this guy.” He maneuvered Rei less than gently into Makoto’s abandoned barstool, then gave Sousuke a few hearty slaps on the back as he sputtered for breath. “So what else does Sousuke do when I’m not looking?”

Rei adjusted his glasses, “I’m not _nearly_ drunk enough to fall for that.”

“What a coincidence,” Rin said, nudging Sousuke in the ribs with his elbow and sending him into another coughing fit, “I’m not sure I’m drunk enough to hear it.”

Nagisa sat back down next to Rei, giving Sousuke a wary glance. He didn’t seem too mad, and at least Rei realized he was poking a hornet’s nest. “Sounds like we’re in agreement,” Rei said, holding his hand up to flag down the bartender.

“Oh, don’t bother,” Nagisa said, “this guy never-”

Only he didn’t get a chance to finish, because the bartender started heading towards them almost as soon as Rei met his eye. “Rei-san, long time no see.”

“Too long, Sera-san,” Rei agreed, smiling as they shook hands.

“Wait,” Nagisa said. “You two know each other?”

“We used to work together,” Rei said.

“Are you still at the Magnolia?” Sera asked.

Rei shook his head, “It shut down last month.”

“Too bad. It was a nice place,” Sera said, absently rubbing a cloth over the bar. “What’re you having?”

“Yeah, what’re we having?” Rin said, leaning on Rei’s shoulder again.

“I’m not sure what _you’ve_ been having, but you clearly got a head start.”

“It’s fine, Glasses. I figure you could use a handicap. You look like a lightweight.”

Rei blinked, then laughed, “Are you actually challenging me to a drinking contest?”

“What? Afraid you’ll embarrass yourself in front of your date?”

Rei put a hand over his mouth, stifling his laughter, “You do realize that I’m a bartender, right?”

“So? You spend a lot of time sampling the goods?”

“He gets a lot of free drinks,” Sera said with a laugh. “That is, unless you’ve lost some of your game since college.”

“Ooooh, was Rei-chan a heartbreaker?” Nagisa cooed.

“Absolutely not.” Rei said, but Sera winked and mouthed _he totally was_.

Nagisa grinned, crossing his arms on the counter and leaning forward, “Tell me _everything_.”

Rei paled a little, “Sera-san, can we get a round of sake bombs? I think it’s going to be a long night.”

“Sure thing.”

“Nothing for me,” Sousuke said.

“And can I get a…” Nagisa glanced over at Rei, “What was the drink you made me the other night? It was really good.”

“Oh, uh, it’s not really… I don’t have a name for it; I just made it on the fly. You liked it?”

“It was fantastic.”

“Well, then… Uhm, do you have cake flavored vodka here?” Rei asked.

Sera shook his head, “Only bare bones when it comes to the froofy stuff.”

“Make him a sex on the beach, then.”

“Okay, so,” Sera started, pointing at each of them in turn, “Water, sake bomb, sake bomb,” Rei interrupted him, holding up two fingers, “Two? Two sake bombs, and something with an umbrella in it. Coming right up.”

Sera headed toward the far end of the bar to start making their drinks, denying Nagisa the opportunity for further prying, but he wasn’t about to let that stop him. “So you got a lot of action in college?”

“I got a lot of _free drinks_ in college. I made a point never to date anyone I met at work.”

“ _Never_?” Nagisa said, leaning into him a little.

“Okay, almost never,” he huffed. “But that’s not the point. Friendly bartenders always make better tips, and sometimes those tips happen to be of an alcoholic nature.”

Nagisa reached up and ran his fingers gently through Rei’s hair, “You know I’m just teasing, right?” Rei made a grumbly little noncommental noise, and Nagisa leaned in and pressed a quick kiss to the frowning corner of Rei’s mouth just as Sera came back with their drinks.

“Anything else?” Sera asked as he lined up the cups and shots in front of Rin and Rei.

“I think we’re set,” Rei said, and Sera gave him a nod before heading back to his other customers.

“Rei-chan,” Nagisa said as soon as Sera was out of earshot, “I think you just earned yourself a permanent invitation to drinks with anyone from the club.”

“Pardon?”

“The service here is usually _terrible_ ,” Rin piped in, balancing his shot of sake on two chopsticks on top of his glass of beer. “If you hadn’t caught his eye, we would have been waiting another twenty minutes.”

Rei snorted, setting up his own drink, “I guess he always did get along better with other bartenders than he did with the customers. You ready?”

Rin sneered back at him, “On three?”

Rei nodded, adjusting his glasses. “Count us down?”

Nagisa and Sousuke leaned in a little closer, and Nagisa stared them off “Sei…no!”

“Ich! Ni! San!” The counted off loudly, and at the last, all four of them banged hard on the bartop, making the sake cups shudder and fall down into the beer glasses. Rin and Rei reached for their glasses at the same moment, chugging them down as the liquid inside fizzed up and threatened to spill over. Nagisa kept up a steady drumroll on the bartop, and let out a whooping cheer as Rin gave in first, pulling back for air with maybe a quarter of his drink left. Then, as if to prove a point, Rei not only finished his drink and slammed it down, but poured his second shot of sake into his second glass of beer and chugged half of it before turning and giving Nagisa a high five.

“ _Shit_ ,” Rin said, wiping the foam off his mouth with the back of his arm, “Are you a fucking fish or something?”

“Bartender,” Rei reminded him, hiding a quiet belch behind his fist.

Rin frowned into the pale liquid at the bottom of his glass, “And who the hell drinks warm beer?”

“Actually, beer is typically chilled to cover up its inferior quality,” Rei said. “If the beer is good, serving it at a slightly higher temperature is the best way to experience its full flavor profile.”

Rin leaned forward, looking past Rei at Nagisa, “Where did you find this asshole?”

“In a strip club, if you can believe it,” Nagisa said with a wink, plucking the cherry off his cocktail stirrer and popping it in his mouth.

“He’s right, though, you know,” Sousuke said. “Unless you’re drinking piss water, it’s better warm. Though good sake is best cold.”

Rei nodded his appreciation, but Rin just rolled his eyes, “Says the teetotaler.”

“It’s just until I’m done with PT,” Sousuke said with the weariness of an oft-repeated argument. Rei looked a question at Nagisa, but Nagisa gave a small shake of his head. Now was _not_ the time to talk about Sousuke’s injury. “Speaking of,” Sousuke said, stealing Rin’s glass and draining the last few sips of his drink, “I should probably get going. Seijuro promised to kick my ass all over the gym tomorrow morning.”

“Stealing my drink _and_ my drinking buddy? That’s cold Yamazaki.”

“Didn’t I tell you to stop calling me that, RinRin?”

Rin winced, and Nagisa snorted. “Seriously, though, before you go,” Rin said, bending down and picking up a bag off the floor, “I wanted to get your opinion on something.”

“Ooh, did you go see Haru-chan after all?” Nagisa asked, leaning past Rei to get a better look at whatever it was Rin was pulling out of his bag.

“Haru-ch..? Oh, did you have a consultation with Haru today?” Rei asked.

“Yeah,” Rin said, pulling a few sheets of paper out of his bag before dropping it back on the floor. “We spent like four hours just yelling at each other,” he said, passing the papers over to Sousuke. “I’m pretty sure I want him to do it, but we couldn’t settle on a design.”

“Mmm, I like this one,” Sousuke said, turning one of the pages back to face Rin. Nagisa held out his hand, and Sousuke passed it over to him. It looked like a delicate watercolor painting of a sakura tree branch growing up along a (stylized, yet surprisingly accurate) outline of Rin’s back, over his shoulder, and up along his right arm.

“Yeah, that one’s my favorite, too,” Rin said. “The composition is spot on.”

“I thought you wanted something a little more realistic, though?” Sousuke said, passing the rest of the stack of designs to Nagisa so he and Rei could leaf through them. They were all beautiful, but all had that same dreamy, watery haze to them.

“That’s what we were arguing about,” Rin said. “He did a few of these, and I was like, hey, these are great, but I want a little more detail. And he just kept saying, ‘This is what my tattoos look like. If you don’t like it, leave.’ Can you believe that?”

Rei snorted, “That sounds like Haru.”

“That’s not that weird, though, is it?” Nagisa asked. “I mean, you usually pick your artist based on their style, right?” He glanced questioningly up at Rei, who shrugged.

“Generally speaking, but most people are a little more flexible than Haru. If you leave him to his own devices, all his work ends up looking like a watercolor.”

“But that’s not true,” Rin objected. “When I got there, he was just finishing outlining this badass design that was all super intricate cogs and gears and shit, but when I pointed that out, he just said, ‘It’s not my work,’ like I hadn’t literally stood there watching him do it for half an hour.”

“Uhm,” Rei said, “I believe that may be because he was working from my design.”

“Haah?” Rin said, turning toward him, “What do you mean _your design_?”

“It was a shoulder tattoo, yes? Meant to accentuate a prosthetic?”

“Uh, yeah?”

“I worked with the client through the concept and design stages. The artwork is mine; Haru just did the inking because I’m not quite steady enough with the needle for that level of detail work yet.”

Rin blinked. “No shit?”

Rei nodded, “Haru can work from basically any design, but he can be… picky about his own work.”

“He did your sleeve, yeah?”

“Yes,” Rei agreed, rolling his sleeve up a little higher and holding his arm out towards Rin so he could get a better look, “Though again, the design is mine.”

“It’s called Libe-REI-tion,” Nagisa chirped.

Rei and Sousuke groaned, and Rin rolled his eyes, “How long have you been sitting on that one, shortie?”

“Like a _week_ ,” Nagisa said, collapsing dramatically onto the bartop.

Rin snorted, then turned back to Rei, “You think if I got the design the way I wanted it, he’d do it? I’ve been everywhere in town, and he’s obviously the best.”

“I’m sure,” Rei said. “This is the one you liked, right?” Rei asked, holding up the design Sousuke had picked out. When Rin nodded, Rei handed the others back and asked, “May I?”

Rin shrugged, “Knock yourself out.”

Rei retrieved a small satchel he’d tucked under the bar at his feet, and Nagisa was surprised to find it filled with a sketchbook and what looked like some very nice quality markers. He flipped open the pad of paper to the first blank page, then started sketching out Rin’s pose from Haru’s design.

“Wait,” Rin said, alarmed, “you’re going to do a design for me right now?”

Rei didn’t bother to look up, but his lips curled into a small smile, “You’re buying the next round, right?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I swore up and down that this "little one shot" was not going to be more than 10k words long. That, obviously, is out the window. Updates are going to be a little slower from here on while I wrangle this behemoth, but the next chapter is shaping up to be a long one, too!


	4. Adagio (Part 2)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Rin singlehandedly earns this fic a light angst tag, and Rei and Nagisa do some creative problem solving.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since I forgot to post them at the end of the last chapter, these were my art-inspirations for Rin's tattoo: [here](http://juniperarts.tumblr.com/post/96910106948/this-was-supposed-to-be-a-69-min-prompt-but-it-got) and [here](http://ragwisart.tumblr.com/post/123895032830/wanted-to-do-some-quick-anatomy-practice-and).

A few hours, a dozen sketches, and several rounds later, Rei had refined Haru’s best design into something both he and Rin were happy with. Sousuke had left almost as soon as the drawing tools had come out, but Nagisa was captivated watching Rei work, and Rin had made it very obvious very quickly why he’d been unable to net a tattoo artist after months of searching: he was picky as hell. Nothing was ever quite right, and he griped loudly about every detail without giving any useful hint as to what, precisely, wasn’t right – let alone how to fix it.

But Rei, evidently, had the patience of a saint, drawing and re-drawing each blossom and branch with varying levels of detail and in varying shades of pink and brown, treating Rin’s whining as a challenge rather than a nuisance. He’d asked smart questions, first about the design itself and then, more subtly, about Rin – mostly under the guise of making conversation while he worked. Nagisa wasn’t quite sure what had done it, but he saw the moment Rei figured it out, a smug, confident smile spreading over his face as he abruptly abandoned the drawing he was working on and flipped to a clean page.

That time, Rin had not a single complaint; when Rei showed him the finished drawing, Rin’s expression had softened into one of tender, unguarded surprise. He reached out and brushed his fingertip lightly along one of the blossoms – hard, clean lines at the base of the bud and along the branches, the petals softer and more liquid, fading to pale flesh tones so they looked diffused by bright light. He breathed, “That’s it.”

Rin swallowed and looked away, but not before Nagisa caught the wet glimmer in his eyes. Rin cleared his throat, chasing the wonder from his voice and replacing it with a deep, manly tone that didn’t quite manage to imitate his normal voice, “Took you long enough, anyway. Order a round of something celebratory, on me. I need to take a piss.”

He stood up and walked toward the bathroom before either of them could say anything, but as soon as Rin was out of earshot, Nagisa asked, “What’s the secret?”

Rei looked up, surprised, “The secret?”

“You figured something out about Rin-chan, I saw it. What was it?”

“He’s a romantic,” Rei said simply. “It’s easy to miss, because he obviously doesn’t want to let on, but once I realized that…” He held up the drawing, turning it toward Nagisa. “He didn’t just want a sakura branch. It was a specific tree. One he saw a long time ago, I think, which would explain why he had so much trouble describing it.” He smiled proudly at his handiwork, “Something perfected by nostalgia, but blurred by the distance of the memory.”

“You’re a philosophical drunk,” Nagisa mused, entranced less by the drawing and more by Rei’s rosy cheeks and the bright, just barely glassy shine in his eyes. Of course, everything he’d said about Rin was true, but it wasn’t _his_ place to say so.

“Mm, it’s probably worse when I’ve been drinking,” Rei admitted, then abruptly let out a little giggle, “and I haven’t had this much to drink in a while.”

“I’m surprised you can still hold a pen straight,” Nagisa said with a laugh.

“I am a trained professional,” Rei boasted, but the effect was ruined a little when he pushed his glasses up onto his forehead and started rubbing his eyes. He gave a little half yawn, slid his glasses back on, and started gathering his supplies together and putting them away, flashing Nagisa a tired smile, “Just don’t make me walk a straight line or meet any more new people tonight.”

“I’m sorry for throwing you in the deep end, Rei-chan,” Nagisa said, laying his cheek on the bar and watching as Rei re-packed his satchel.

Rei flipped his bag shut and let it drop back to the floor, then folded one arm on the bar, resting his head on his hand so he could look back at Nagisa, “Don’t be. I had fun. More than I thought I would.”

“Me too.” Nagisa smiled lazily, “Everyone loves you, you know.”

“Even you?” Rei asked, his voice soft and a little dreamy. He seemed to realize what he’d said a heartbeat after the words left his lips, his eyes going wide as he clapped his hand over his mouth. Nagisa felt his cheeks pink, and Rei murmured against his palm, looking mildly horrified, “I’m _drunk_.” He sat up and gave Nagisa a quick little bow, “My apologies. I think I need to make use of the facilities as well.”

He was gone before Nagisa could object, making a (weaving, slightly unsteady) beeline for the bathrooms. Nagisa pressed his hands over his face and started giggling uncontrollably. Rei had said it. Drunk and not thinking, in a roundabout way, he’d said the one thing you absolutely did not say, not on a second date, not before you were _sure_ it wasn’t too soon and you weren’t going to scare the other person off. And it _was_ too soon, they still barely knew each other, but Nagisa realized that he wasn’t freaked out or put off by it at all. It was probably the belly full of liquor, the long day and late night, the exhaustion from worrying over Rin, but the question had filled Nagisa’s chest with a warm effervescence, like he was bubbling and sparkling on the inside. It was probably good that Rei had run off, because the answer to Rei’s question was still fizzing on the tip of Nagisa’s tongue: _especially me_.

But Rei had hardly disappeared into the bathroom when Rin re-emerged, and it didn’t take a genius to figure out why. If he hadn’t been looking, Nagisa might have missed Rin stopping just outside the bathroom door and wiping his eyes and cheeks dry with the corner of his sleeve, but once he got closer, it was hard to overlook his bloodshot eyes and the slight puffiness in his face. Rin slumped down on his barstool, leaning his elbows on the bar and putting his face in his hands. Without a word, Nagisa scootched one seat over, taking Rei’s spot so he could lean his head on Rin’s shoulder.

“He’s not a creep,” Rin said. Nagisa just hummed, agreeing but not commenting. Rin shrugged gently, nudging Nagisa off him, then reached for his mostly-empty beer. He stopped just short of taking a swig and murmured, “I got in a huge fight with Gou this morning.” He said it softly, mostly into the cup, and chased the words back down his throat with alcohol, but there it was: the thing he hadn’t been saying all day.

And then Nagisa asked the question that had been running circles in his head since he’d gotten Rin’s phone call, “What happened?”

“I guess the club has been doing well. Like, really well,” Rin said, looking mournfully down into his empty glass. He put the cup down and rubbed his nose, sniffing a little, “She said she needs a full-time bookkeeper, and that me helping out on weekends and after my shift isn’t cutting it anymore.”

There were a lot of little things packed into that brief explanation, but none of them seemed dire enough to be what Rin was upset about. The Matsuoka siblings were notorious for bickering with each other, and the argument about Rin’s level involvement in the club was not a new one. There was definitely something more going on, so Nagisa just nodded, waiting for an explanation.

“She wants me to quit the academy and start working with her full time. She wants to make me a partner.”

Oh. _Oh_.

“But you just finished your last round of exams. You’re like-”

“Maybe a couple weeks away from getting a job on the force?” Rin said bitterly. “Yeah, exactly.”

“She doesn’t want you to become a cop,” Nagisa breathed, realization settling over him.

Rin nodded, his face twisting up as he fought back a new wave of tears, “I knew that, you know? She always kind of… she didn’t like to talk about it. She’d always change the subject whenever it came up, but she never…” He shook his head, wiping angrily at his face and choking on a laugh that was half a sob, “You know what she said to me? She said if I got killed in the line of duty, she wouldn’t come to my funeral.”

“Oh, Rin,” Nagisa said, sliding off his seat and putting his arms around Rin’s shoulders, “No, Rin, she didn’t mean that, she-”

“It doesn’t matter,” Rin said, his voice strangled as he fisted his hands in the back of Nagisa’s shirt. “She fucking said it.” Nagisa wound his arms around Rin’s head, hugging him gently against his chest and letting him cry against his shirt. Then, through heavy, ugly sobs, Rin said, “I don’t want to die before I’m forty.”

The unspoken words hung heavy in the air: _like my dad did_.

And what did you say to that? He couldn’t promise that Rin would outlive his father, even if he didn’t take up the same profession, couldn’t say that his sister was wrong, couldn’t say that she was _right_. So he just said, “I’m so sorry.” Rin just shook his head, coiling his arms around Nagisa’s waist and squeezing him close. Nagisa ran his fingers gently through Rin’s lank, dirty hair as the tears rain their course, wishing he knew what to say and knowing there wasn’t much he _could_ say. When he reached up to thumb a tear from his own eye, he caught sight of Rei, freshly emerged from the bathroom and very obviously aware of the shift in mood; he looked like he was contemplating sneaking out the back door.

Nagisa glanced down at Rin, caught in a moment of indecision, but Rin must have felt him tense, because he pulled back a little and snuffled, “It’s fine. He already saw me crying in the bathroom.”

Nagisa looked up and gave Rei a helpless little shrug, then nodded his head toward the bar, indicating he could come back, if he wanted. Rei hesitated for a moment before heading back toward them, but by the time he made it to the bar, he’d produced a small packet of tissues from… somewhere and offered it to Rin.

“Fuckin’ nerd,” Rin said, but he took one of the tissues and blew his nose.

Rei hovered, evidently unable to bring himself to sit down. “What, ah, what… happened?”

“My baby sister pulled the _our dead dad_ card in a last ditch attempt to get me to drop out of the police academy.”

Rei blinked. “Wait, police academy? You’re training to become a cop for real?”

“Top of my class,” Rin said, then shook his head. “ _Fuck_. You know what the worst part was?” He glanced up at Nagisa, then back down at his feet, “She said that just because dad was a cop doesn’t mean I have to be one, too.”

Rei finally sat back down, leaving Nagisa standing in the space between him and Rin. Nagisa took Rin’s hand in both of his own, gently massaging Rin’s palm with his thumbs, “I’m sure she just meant that she isn’t holding you to your father’s legacy.”

“That’s the problem,” Rin said. “That was the first time anyone in my family had ever said anything like that to me.” He sighed, leaning forward, and Nagisa caught Rin’s head in his hands, rubbing small circles on his temples. “I’ve wanted to be a cop since I was ten,” he said. “I always looked up to my dad, and when he died, it was like… He was so good at his job. A fucking hero. And I felt like I had to be that, because he couldn’t anymore. My whole life I’ve been tying to be good enough to fill his fucking shoes, and then Gou comes out and says I don’t have to? Not once did anyone ever say to me, ‘you don’t have to take your dad’s place’. In all these years, not once did anyone in my family tell me it wasn’t my responsibility, or that I could do something else or be something else. It was always a given.” He shook his head, sounding more tired than angry, “I’ve tried so fucking hard, and I’m still not half the man he was. And this morning was the first time I started to wonder, if I have to try so hard to be good at this, what’s stopping me from trying hard and being good at something else? My dad was the best at what he did, and he died doing it, so what the fuck is going to happen to me? I don’t stand a fucking chance.”

Nagisa opened his mouth to say something – to object, to comfort, _somehow_ – but before he could make a sound, Rei cleared his throat behind him. “I can’t begin to imagine what it would be like to lose a parent,” Rei began quietly, “but I understand better than most what it’s like to live under the weight of a legacy.”

Rin blinked, looking up at Rei like he’d forgotten he was there, “What do you mean?”

“Both my parents are doctors,” Rei said, absently running a fingertip around the rim of his glass. “So are my brother, his wife, my paternal uncle, two of my cousins, and three of my four grandparents. They all have their own practices, a house, two children, and a dog.” Rei glanced up at the last, a wry smile on his lips, “And I’m the tattooed, gay, art student living in a sublet with two cats and working at a strip club.”

Rin actually snorted, “Holidays must be a blast.”

“I actually stopped going home for a year after I changed majors. I didn’t want to tell my family about any of it – the degree, my life plans, my sexuality – because I knew they’d be disappointed. Devastated, even. After all, I’d set fire to the family flag, so to speak.”

“What happened?” Nagisa asked, gingerly sitting himself down on Rei’s lap.

Rei slid one arm around Nagisa’s waist, settling him in place, “They started piecing it together, of course. Paperwork from the school. My brother’s wife’s friend caught me with a boyfriend in a club. Stupid stuff that added up to… Basically an intervention,” he said with a weak laugh. “But when I finally told them everything, they were _relieved_. My mother actually told me she’d spent years worrying over me, watching me struggle with the sciences when they obviously weren’t my strength. And I was just like, why couldn’t you have told me this a decade ago? No one ever said ‘you have to become a doctor,’ but just like you said, Rin-san, no one ever told me otherwise. It was just the way things were.”

Rin nodded vaguely, “They always bought me cop stuff when I was a kid. I never even questioned it.”

“Mmm, I had so many toy doctor bags, I couldn’t even count,” Rei said. “But I think my parents were more proud of me when I finally showed them my portfolio than they’d been for all the science fair prizes I’d fucking bled for.” He shook his head, “Anyway, I’m not saying you shouldn’t be a cop, just that you shouldn’t feel like you have to. I don’t know anything about your father, but I can’t imagine he would want you to live his life for him just because he couldn’t. Whatever you do, it should be for you, not for your dad, or for your sister.”

“Gou doesn’t need me working for her,” Rin mused. “She’s better with the paperwork than I am. But we’re both so busy, sometimes balancing the books and eating takeout is the only time we get to spend together.”

“I think you need to talk to her,” Nagisa said softly.

Rin shook his head, “She’s gonna be fucking pissed at me for ditching work tonight.”

“Wait,” Rei said. “Your sister works at the club?”

“She _owns_ the club, Rei-chan,” Nagisa giggled. “Though I guess she doesn’t always do interviews, so you might not have even met her, huh?”

“Wait,” he said again, “Your _sister_ hired you as a _stripper_?”

“And a part time accountant,” Rin said. “I think she hoped that wearing the uniform on stage would get it out of my system.”

“Isn’t that a little strange?”

Rin shrugged, “It keeps me in shape, the tips are good, and it’s not like I’m going to find anyone else that’ll be as flexible about the hours.”

“That’s not really what I-”

“Anyway,” Nagisa interrupted, “I don’t think Gou is mad. If anything, I think she’s upset, too. We couldn’t get a hold of her all night, and she left _Momo_ in charge of fixing the lineup.”

“No shit?”

“I told you already,” Nagisa said, “He tried to get Mako-chan to dance again.”

Rin puffed out a big sigh, “Can I call her in the morning?”

“I think you should call her now and have her come haul your drunk ass home,” Nagisa said, “But I’ll call you a cab if you need a break from the heavy stuff.”

“What time is it?” Rin asked, sounding miserable.

Rei checked his watch – because of course he had a watch. “It’s… ugh, just after three. They’re probably going to kick us out soon anyway.”

“Will you call her for me, Nagi?”

Nagisa rolled his eyes, but pulled out his phone and called Gou without actually objecting. He was a little afraid that she wouldn’t answer – or that she’d answer and be just as soused as they were – but he didn’t have to worry long, because she answered after the first ring, “Nagisa?! Is my brother okay?!”

“He’s fine, Gou-chan. Drunk as a skunk, and salting the bar at O’Malleys with his tears, thanks to you, but he’s fine.”

“Hey!” Rin protested, but Nagisa just hushed him.

“Do you think you can come get him?”

“Yeah, I’ll be there in ten,” she said, the edge of panic fading from her voice. “How pissed is he?”

“Exactly as much as he’s entitled to be,” Nagisa said coolly. “Do you think you can be civil with him tonight? Because you two need to talk, but if you’re going to be a bitch about it, I’ll take him home myself.”

“I’ll come get him,” Gou said. She hesitated for a moment, then added, “Thanks for looking after him tonight.”

“It was a group effort, but you’re welcome.”

“I owe you one.”

“If you mean that, then I’m calling it in,” he said, eyes flicking over toward Rei. “When you put together next week’s schedule, try to make sure my time off overlaps with the new bartender’s.”

“Done,” she said.

Nagisa smiled, “See you in ten, Gou-chan.”

* * *

It took about that long to settle their tabs and start heading toward the door, all of them still a little unsteady on their feet. As soon as they were outside, Rin swept Nagisa up in a bone crushing hug and whispered, just quietly, “Thank you,” with enough gratitude to make Nagisa sniffle, though Rin himself was absolutely _not_ crying again.

Rin managed a very heartfelt handshake with Rei before they all heard a faint cry of _Onii-chan!_ coming from across the street. Nagisa quickly patted Rin on the back, wished him luck, then grabbed Rei’s arm and dragged him out of the line of fire and down the block. He believed that Gou was going to be on her best behavior, but he was beyond worn out, and with the two of them together, another round of waterworks was almost inevitable.

It was only when they made it to the end of the block that Nagisa drew up short, “Shit, we should have called you a cab.”

“It’s alright. I figure they wanted to be alone anyway.” Rei glanced around, “Are we headed anywhere in particular, or just making a run for it?”

“Er, right.” He hadn’t given it a second thought, but he’d totally been dragging Rei toward his apartment. “I live just a few blocks down.”

“I’ll walk you home, then,” Rei said. “I can call a cab from there.”

“Right,” Nagisa said. He’d sobered up quite a bit in the past hour, but he obviously still wasn’t thinking straight. He puffed out a sigh and looked up at the cloudy sky, but it was too overcast to see the stars. The last warmth of late summer had given way to the first real chill of autumn since the last time they’d walked together like this, and Nagisa found himself wanting to burrow into the warmth of Rei’s side like he had that first night. After everything that had just happened, though, it felt somehow wrong. Instead, he reached down and slipped his hand into Rei’s, “I’m sorry tonight turned out to be such a disaster.”

Rei gave his hand a little squeeze, making a thoughtful sound, “You knew something was going on with Rin-san, didn’t you?”

Nagisa glanced down, watching his brightly colored shoes scuff against the sidewalk. “He sounded pretty bad on the phone this afternoon. I had no idea what was going on, but yeah, I had a feeling something was wrong.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Rei’s tone wasn’t accusing, but it was something more complex than merely curious.

Nagisa chewed his lip, really considering the question. “I should have,” he admitted first. “Honestly, I didn’t have much time to think it through. I just… I knew I needed to be there for Rin, and I couldn’t stand the thought of blowing you off again. I didn’t realize how bad off he was, or I wouldn’t have dragged you into it, but to be honest, I’m really glad you were there. You got through to him, and that’s… not easy to do.”

“I think we’re somewhat alike,” Rei said, “though I wouldn’t have guessed it, and I doubt he’d like the comparison.”

“I wouldn’t be so sure,” Nagisa said, bumping Rei lightly with his shoulder. “Next thing you know, he’s going to be drunk dialing you at three in the morning crying about his feelings.”

Rei huffed out a laugh, “Oh joy.”

Nagisa sobered a little. “You know, it’s not too late to make a run for it.” He hadn’t meant for it to come out sounding quite so tired and defeated, and when Rei halted beside him, something clenched in his chest. It had been stupid to throw the two of them together, stupid to try to keep everyone happy, stupid-

“I’m not going anywhere, Nagisa-kun.” Nagisa turned and looked up at Rei, eyes a little wide as he searched Rei’s face for the meaning of his words, but Rei just raised their twined hands to his lips and pressed a soft kiss to the back of Nagisa’s hand, repeating softly, “I’m not going anywhere.”

“I really like you,” Nagisa blurted out. “And I meant it when I said I wanted to show you off.” A slow smile spread across Rei’s lips, and Nagisa dropped his eyes to the ground, “Hell, you managed to wrap my grumpiest, most pig-headed friend around your little finger like it was nothing.” He took a breath and forced himself to look up, meeting Rei’s gaze, “Everyone loved you tonight, but no one more than me.”

There was a moment, just a second, where Rei looked so surprised that Nagisa was sure _he’d_ become the off-putting weirdo. Then suddenly Rei’s expression softened, and he reached up to touch Nagisa’s cheek; he’d leaned half way down before he stopped to whisper, “Can I kiss you?”

Nagisa, caught by those vivid purple eyes, just nodded, and Rei closed the space between them as smooth and natural as taking a breath. It wasn’t like the other times they’d kissed – abrupt and passionate, almost a surprise. This time, Rei’s mouth was slow and sure, his long, elegant fingertips cupping Nagisa’s jaw, tipping his head to just the right angle to steal his breath away. Nagisa went up on his toes to meet him half way, coiling his arms around Rei’s neck, and one of Rei’s hands went to the small of Nagisa’s back, supporting him and holding him close. Rei’s mouth tasted faintly of alcohol, but the gentle, teasing touch of his tongue made Nagisa shiver and gasp before pulling him closer, kissing him harder. The night was cold around them, but Rei was warm and strong and perfect, and Nagisa could feel the truth of his words in the way he held him – Rei wasn’t going anywhere. Whatever this thing they had was, it was new and strange and sudden, but it was _good_.

Rei drew back slightly, brushing the tip of his nose against Nagisa’s cheek before pressing their foreheads together. His voice was a soft, warm whisper against Nagisa’s lips, “God, I’ve wanted to do that all night.”

Nagisa’s lips curled into a small smile, “I know the feeling.” He pressed another soft kiss to Rei’s lips, “When you walked in tonight, I swear I-” He flinched a little, cut off as a cold drop of water landed on his cheek. “What…?” Nagisa leaned back and they both looked up, catching a few more stray drops of water in the face before a flash of lightning lit up the sky. Thunder rumbled around them a heartbeat later and the sky split open, rain starting up in earnest, sudden and heavy. They both cried out in surprise, and Nagisa shouted, “Come on, quick!” He grabbed Rei’s hand, dashing down the sidewalk and pulling him along behind.

They were only a block and a half away from Nagisa’s apartment, but the rain had ramped up into a downpour in a matter of seconds, and they’d barely made it to the end of the street before Nagisa felt the water soaking through his clothes. By the time they made it to Nagisa’s building, they were both breathing hard and sopping wet. Nagisa took the stairs up to his apartment two at a time. The wind was blowing so hard that the awnings between each level did little to protect them from the driving rain. As soon as he opened his front door, the rain blew inside, splattering all over his entryway, and they both had to lean against the door to get it closed again.

Nagisa put his hand to his chest, panting hard, “I didn’t think it was supposed to rain until tomorrow morning.”

“Technically,” Rei said, equally out of breath, “It _is_ tomorrow morning.”

Nagisa turned and their eyes met, and Nagisa started giggling. “Oh my god, Rei-chan, your glasses!” Rei pulled off his rain-splattered glasses and wiped them on his soaking wet shirt, which only helped a little. “Oh, Rei, you’re absolutely soaked,” Nagisa said, trying to sound sympathetic as Rei pushed his glasses back on.

Rei chuckled, reaching out and tugging on a limp, sodden strand of Nagisa’s hair, “You’re not much better off yourself.”

Nagisa laughed, “I probably look like a drowned rat.”

“Not at all,” Rei said, and his expression was so soft, his voice so fond and gentle, that Nagisa felt it pull at his chest. He leaned in, brushing the wet hair out of Rei’s face, and kissed him gently. Rei’s lips were cold and wet from the rain, and the little thrill they sent down Nagisa’s spine turned into a full fledged shiver. Rei pulled back a little, his expression creased with worry, “You’re freezing.”

Nagisa wanted to deny it, but he wasn’t sure he could do it without his teeth chattering. “I should probably go get changed.”

“And I should probably get home,” Rei said, throwing a glance out Nagisa’s rain-spattered front window. “God, it’s going to be hell trying to get a cab.”

“So don’t,” Nagisa said. Rei turned to face him, a little wide-eyed, and Nagisa went pink. “I mean, you’re dripping wet. You must be cold, too, and even if you can get a cab, it’s going to take an hour to get here in this weather. I can find you a change of clothes, and you can crash with me.” He hesitated, then added, “I have a spare futon if-”

“That would be lovely,” Rei blurted out. “Thank you.”

“Okay,” Nagisa said. “Okay, great, let me just-” As soon as he took a step forward, his foot slid out from under him and he staggered back against the door. Nagisa glanced down and found not only that the small square of tile in front of his door was completely covered in water, but that he and Rei were both still literally dripping. He chewed his lip thoughtfully. The rest of his apartment was carpeted, and he didn’t have enough towels to dry both them and his whole floor. Even if they made a run for it, it was going to make a huge mess. If it had just been him, he would have stripped down in the entryway, but…

“Uhm,” Rei said, “I don’t want to track water all over your carpet. Maybe we should, uhm…”

Nagisa blinked. That hadn’t quite been a full sentence, but it sure sounded like Rei’s train of thought had aligned pretty closely with his own. “We should…?”

“Ah, maybe we should remove our wet garments?”

Rei was so red that pretty soon his clothes were going to steam dry on their own. “Right,” Nagisa said, feeling the heat rise in his own cheeks. “Not like you haven’t seen me in my underwear before, right?” He let out a breathy laugh, turning around to kick off his shoes before peeling out of his flannel and letting it drop to the floor with a wet plop. “I’ll just go grab you a towel and-” And then he heard the sound of more wet fabric hitting the ground, and when he turned around, Rei’s vest was on the floor, and he was already unbuttoning his shirt. Nagisa found himself suddenly a little dizzy, and not quite so cold, and staring, just a little. More than a little. A lot. Openly.

Rei’s shirt clung to his arms as he peeled it off, leaving water beaded on his skin as he dropped it to the floor on top of his vest. Nagisa hastily peeled off his undershirt, just to hide his face (and to give himself a second to clamp down on the urge to lean forward and lick the water off Rei’s skin and _oh god this was a terrible idea what was he thinking_ ). Nagisa dropped his wet shirt on the floor and put this back to Rei again, silently, bitterly thanking his sister for goading him into wearing his nice underwear as he unbuttoned his wet jeans and started to wiggle out of them. The denim was sodden and heavy and stuck to his skin, which meant he had to peel his pants off every inch of the way, but at the very least, his underwear was mostly dry. He took a slow, steadying breath as he kicked his feet free of his jeans, then turned around to face Rei…

…who was standing there watching him, shirtless and wet, his maroon pants unbuttoned and unzipped to reveal royal purple and lavender striped underwear… and just how much he was enjoying the view. Another wave of dizziness washed over Nagisa as his blood rearranged itself in his body, tipping the scale from flaming embarrassment to a very different kind of heat.

“It’s different,” Rei said, his voice low and a little husky. Nagisa blinked, forcing his gaze up to Rei’s face, but not quite able to wrap his mind around the words. “…seeing you take you clothes off for real, I mean.”

A weak, needy little moan escaped Nagisa’s lips, and before he could stop himself, he’d pressed his hands to the perfect curves of Rei’s hips and pushed him back up against the front door, bringing their bodies very close together and pulling an answering groan from Rei. Nagisa huffed out a shaky breath, looking up into Rei’s face, “I wasn’t supposed to sleep with you tonight.”

“I wasn’t even supposed to go past your doorstep,” Rei breathed.

“I think we may have miscalculated,” Nagisa said, drawing small circles on Rei’s hip bones with the pads of his thumbs.

“We don’t have to,” Rei said, reaching up and gently cupping Nagisa’s face in his hand. He closed his eyes, gave a small shake of his head, “We probably shouldn’t.” When he opened his eyes again, a small smile crawled across his lips, “Your hair is still dripping wet.” As if to prove the point, he reached up and tugged lightly on a strand of Nagisa’s hair, squeezing free a drop of water that fell, icy cold, onto Nagisa’s bare chest.

Nagisa gasped and shivered, pulling away a little instinctively. His hand reached up to cover the cold spot, and his voice came out breathy, “You did that on purpose.”

“Maybe,” Rei said, pressing a quick kiss to Nagisa’s nose. “Get me that towel? I need to figure out how I’m going to get out of these pants.”

“You mean the pants that look like they had to be sewn onto your body?”

Rei let out a husky laugh, “They’re extremely tight.”

Part of Nagisa wanted nothing more than to drop to his knees in the cold puddle of water, pin Rei against the door, and very thoroughly help him out of those pants. But Rei was right; it had been a long, long night, they were both still a little tipsy, and they were both still cold and wet, in varying degrees. And, he reminded himself, he did not get naked with anyone on a second date, no matter how much he wanted to. It was a matter of principle.

Still, Rei _did_ need to get out of his pants, one way or another. Nagisa reached down and slid his hands along Rei’s hips, pushing the front of his pants open and then down as his hands moved around to give Rei’s butt a little squeeze. Rei gasped, eyes going a little wide, “Nagisa-kun…?” Then Nagisa grabbed onto the waistband of Rei’s jeans and yanked them down around his ankles in one hard, fluid motion.

Rei yelped in surprise, then frowned, “You did that on purpose!”

“Maybe,” Nagisa said, winking up at Rei from his vantage point down near his knees. “I’ll go get you that towel.” He stood up smoothly, and if he put a little extra swagger in his step as he headed toward the bathroom, he didn’t really think Rei would blame him.

Nagisa pulled his towel off the towel bar and draped it over his head, taking a moment to steady his breath and let his pulse return to normal. Once he felt a little more composed, he pulled every other towel he owned out of his vanity cabinet and headed back out into the main area of his apartment. Rei was still standing on the little square of tile by the front door, looking a little more composed himself now that Nagisa wasn’t pressed right up against him, but every bit as scrumptious as those shrink-wrap jeans had implied. His legs were long and lean and muscular, a runner’s legs, and his chest and shoulders were broad and muscular, tapering down to those delectable hips. Not that he was looking. Nagisa pulled one of the nicer towels off the top of his pile and tossed it to Rei, then bent down and focused his attention on spreading the rest of the towels out over the floor and piling up their discarded clothes.

When Nagisa picked up his jeans, he groaned, remembering his phone in his back pocket, but thankfully his phone case seemed to have kept out the worst of the moisture. He wiped the case dry and tossed the phone on his bed, then glanced back over his shoulder at Rei, who was toweling his hair dry, “You should check and make sure the water didn’t soak through your bag.”

“My bag?” Rei said, then jolted, “Oh no, my bag!” He dropped down to his knees, scrambling for where he’d dropped his bag by the door and pulling it open. He breathed a sigh of relief as he pulled out his sketchbook, which didn’t look any worse for the wear. “The bag’s soaked through, but it doesn’t look like anything is damaged,” Rei said as he started carefully emptying his bag onto the table by the front door.

“We can hang everything up in the bathroom,” Nagisa said, piling all the wet clothes onto one towel and gathering it up by the edges. “Hopefully it’ll all be dry in the morning.” He stepped on one of the towels on the floor and swept it back and forth with his foot, pushing around the pile of soggy towels and mopping up the worst of the moisture.

Rei bent down to gather up the towels, “Where do you want these?”

“Oh, uh, in the bathtub, I guess. I’ll have to run them through the wash tomorrow.”

Rei nodded, and they made their way back to the bathroom together, hanging up their wet clothes side by side and leaving the towels to drain in the tub. By the time they were done, the weight of the evening had settled in on Nagisa’s shoulders, and he let out a soft yawn, bending down to dig inside his bathroom vanity, “I think I have a spare toothbrush in here somewhere… ah ha!”

He held the still-wrapped, this-totally-came-from-my-dentist toothbrush up triumphantly, and Rei chuckled, “Thanks.”

And then, side by side, in their underwear and bone tired, they brushed their teeth, and Nagisa decided he liked the way they looked together in the mirror. He also like the way a second toothbrush looked in his toothbrush holder.

Nagisa could have offered to pull out the spare futon, and he could have offered to try to find a pair of pants that might have had a chance of fitting someone five inches taller than he was, but instead he took Rei’s hand and led him over to his bed, flicking off the lights before pulling Rei down under the covers with him. And they were both still a little cold and a little damp, but it didn’t matter, because Nagisa fit _perfectly_ in Rei’s arms, and the blankets were warm, and the rain was still pounding outside, but they were in here, together.

“G’night Rei-chan,” Nagisa said, nuzzling his nose against Rei’s chest.

“Goodnight Nagisa.”

And if Rei being tired enough to drop the honorific brought a little smile to Nagisa’s lips, well, it was too dark for Rei to see it, anyway.

* * *

Nagisa woke once in the late morning. The rain had died down to a soft patter, and he’d evidently turned in his sleep. His back was pressed against Rei’s bare chest, their legs tucked together and the alluring swell of Rei’s morning wood pressed ever so gently against the curve of Nagisa’s ass. Nagisa smiled, pulled Rei’s arm a little tighter around him, and snuggled back contentedly into the heat of Rei’s body before drifting back off to sleep.

* * *

The next time he woke, it was to the smell of breakfast – eggs and butter, cinnamon and coffee – and he rolled over in bed, tangling himself in the sheets so he could peer into the kitchen. Rei was standing in front of the stove, wearing Nagisa’s “Kiss The Cook” apron over his underwear and evidently nothing else, his usually perfectly coiffed hair rumpled and cowlicked. Nagisa smiled lazily, “Good morning, handsome.”

Rei looked up, an easy smile on his lips, “Good morning.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had a lot of fun with this chapter; hopefully you guys enjoyed it as much as I did! 
> 
> I've already started writing the next chapter, but it might be a few days coming since I want to make sure I have my actually-a-one-shot done in time for Nagisa's birthday celebration. There will also prooooobably be a rating bump for the next bit, just a heads up >>
> 
> In the meantime, come scream with me about swimming boys - theshannonlewis on twitter and tumblr.


	5. Variation 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Nagisa gets some big news, and everyone hangs out at Haru's tattoo parlor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> NOW WITH THE MOST BEAUTIFUL OF [FANART](http://muchacha11.tumblr.com/post/126073967917/yes-i-have-been-drawing-reigisa-all-day-so-sue-me)!!!
> 
> Before we get started, a little background: I went absolutely, 100%, complete GRRM on this chapter. That is to say, I executed what I thought was a flawless time jump, only to realize about 8k words in that I had completely dropped the ball on several minor plotlines, skipped a few first meetings, and glossed over one rather important event in a way that, I discovered, no amount of recapping would remedy. The bad news, obviously, was that I had to write another chapter to take place before that one, and kept you lovelies waiting in the meantime. The good news is, you get a bonus 10k word long chapter! *Confetti!*
> 
> So, this is the chapter where all of the things that were originally only going to be referenced actually happen, and as a result, it's particularly heavy on the group dynamics, and features a little more SouRin and MakoHaru than I originally intended to make it on the page. If that isn't your jam, don't worry - this chapter is about as much screen time as those pairings are going to get (and even so, it isn't a ton) before everything turns back into one big 24/7 Reigisa fluff fest. But that's enough from me. Enjoy!

If anyone had missed the memo that Rei and Nagisa were dating, it became abundantly clear to everyone when they showed up to work the next evening together holding hands, Rei dressed in yesterday’s clothes and Nagisa sporting a very obvious hickey. They’d shared a lovely breakfast in bed, had a long, honest conversation about boundaries, and then spent the rest of the afternoon exploring those boundaries, together. And if the catcalls they got the second they set foot in the locker room made Rei turn almost as red as he had when he’d realized he’d accidentally marked up Nagisa’s neck, well, Nagisa thought it was worth it just to be able to pull Rei back for one last kiss – wolf whistles and all – before they went their separate ways for work.

They’d gotten there a little early – or rather, on time for Rei’s shift, but early for Nagisa’s, since Rei’s car was still in the parking lot at the bar – so Nagisa had the luxury of sitting in front of the vanity mirror backstage, gently prodding at the purplish red spot on his neck. He turned from side to side, peeling his shirt off and examining his torso, and was amused to find the ghostly trace of a bite mark on his hip. They’d mutually agreed to keep things above the belt for now, but that had left plenty of room for them to get to know each other.

“And here I was worried that you two got caught in the rain.” Nagisa yelped and whirled around to face Rin, who was leaning casually against the wall next to the vanity.

Nagisa puffed out a little laugh, sitting himself back down, “We did, actually.”

Rin rolled his eyes. “I’ll help you get those covered up. Where’s your concealer?” Nagisa dug through the mess on the vanity top before tossing Rin the bottle. He caught it easily, then squatted down in front of Nagisa’s chair, “Lift your arm up.”

Nagisa obliged, leaning to one side so Rin could start dabbing makeup onto his side. He took the opportunity to look his friend over. Rin looked better than he had the night before; despite the fact that he’d probably woken up with a bitch of a hangover, he didn’t look quite so run down, and at the very least, he’d showered. After a minute, Rin stood up and Nagisa leaned his head to one side so Rin could start covering up the hickey. He was just about finished when Nagisa finally asked, “How are you doing?”

“Better,” Rin said, motioning for Nagisa to stand up and turn around. Nagisa was a little surprised when Rin found something that needed covering up on the back of one of his shoulders. He tried not to think too hard about what it was or how it might have gotten there. “Gou and I had a really good talk. About the stuff we talked about, and why she said the things she did.” Rin sat Nagisa back down in his chair, looking him over, “You’re doing the angel routine first, right?”

Nagisa nodded, “Yeah, with Momo-chan. Then I’m on floor duty the rest of the night.”

Rin rummaged around the vanity, gathering up bottles and compacts and brushes, and then tipped Nagisa’s chin up and started applying his makeup. “I guess for Gou it was just sort of a perfect storm. She didn’t tell me, but that morning the results of my firearms test came in the mail, and right after that… did you know she still hangs out with Sousuke?”

Nagisa blinked. “I know they’re friends,” he said, “but I never really thought about it.”

“I guess she goes to the gym with him sometimes. Something about his personal trainer giving her a good deal? Anyway, he didn’t fuckin’ tell me this, either, but I guess it’s starting to look like he isn’t going to get full use of his arm back.”

“Shit,” Nagisa breathed.

“Yeah,” Rin said, sitting down on the edge of the vanity table and running his hand back through his hair. “And he was working private security for, like, a fucking petting zoo or something when he got shot.” He shook his head, grabbing a tube of liquid eyeliner and twisting off the cap. “Look up,” he said, then leaned in close, drawing the brush lightly along the edge of Nagisa’s eyelid. “Of course he’s taking it in stride, but the whole thing freaked Gou out all over again.” He sighed, switching to applying Nagisa’s mascara, “I dunno if you know, but this is about the time of year my dad died, too. The whole stupid fight started because Gou and I were talking about going to visit his grave together, and I told her it couldn’t be the day of my graduation.”

“What’re you gonna do?” Nagisa asked quietly.

“I told her I’d think about what she said. Or what she meant to say, I guess,” Rin said, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning back against the vanity. “I’m going to go through with my graduation if I pass all my exams, but I’m going to hold off on applying for a job on the force. I’m not going to be much use to anyone while I’m getting my tattoo done, anyway, so I told Gou I’d help her find another dancer and try out doing the administrative stuff full time. If I hate it, or I don’t magically stumble across a new dream career by the time my tattoo is done and healed, I’ll help her find a new accountant and start pursuing the cop thing for real.”

“I think that’s smart,” Nagisa said. “You’ve been pushing so hard for so long, I think it’ll be good for you to stop and get your bearings. Even if you end up following the path you were on in the first place.”

Rin grunted. “It’s weird to think there might be other options out there. It’s… scary, but sort of liberating?”

“Whatever you end up doing, you’re going to be great,” Nagisa said, wrapping his arms around Rin’s waist and pulling him into a hug.

“Oi, watch your makeup,” he said, planting his hand on top of Nagisa’s head and pushing him away. Nagisa just laughed, and Rin rolled his eyes. “I should go get ready,” he said, but instead of walking away, he hesitated. After a moment, he asked, “Will you and Rei come with me when I go back to the tattoo parlor?”

“Sure,” Nagisa said with a smile. “Just tell me when.”

* * *

The night went by fairly quickly; the return to normalcy was palpable, and it put everyone in better spirits. Nagisa made a point of brushing his fingertips lightly over the side of his neck when he caught Rei looking at him while he was on stage, and Rei, for his part, had another one of those fabulous pink drinks waiting for Nagisa when he went on waitstaff duty. It was sitting on a cocktail napkin with a note that read: _you missed a spot_ , but Nagisa was pretty sure he was bluffing. Fairly certain. Almost positive.

And even though Rei got off work almost 45 minutes before Nagisa did, by the time Nagisa got done playing cocktail waiter out front, Rei was still in the locker area, still wearing his bartending outfit, and talking animatedly with Sousuke and Rin.

“Beep beep,” Nagisa said, waving them out of his way. Navigating the cramped locker area was particularly challenging given that his current “uniform” consisted of a tiny half apron and absolutely nothing else, but he at least made an effort not to shove his butt in anyone’s face. Of course, his attempts at modesty were rendered pretty much futile when Rin reached out and slapped his ass in passing.

“Good tips tonight?”

Nagisa rolled his eyes and gave a little shake of his butt, “What do you think?”

Rin laughed and turned back to Sousuke as Nagisa pulled open his locker, “Anyway, it’s not like I need someone to hold my hand or anything, I just think it’s a bad idea to go alone.”

“Yeah, sure,” Sousuke said, sounding both amused and unconvinced.

“Wait, what are we talking about?” Nagisa asked as he pulled a pair of underwear out of his locker (the blue and pink ones, which Rei had spotted on his floor and said were cute) and tugged them on.

“About going to get my tattoo,” Rin said.

Nagisa frowned, untying his apron and shoving it in his locker, “I thought you said Haru-chan was the best.”

“Well, yeah, but…” Rin sighed, “You’ll see when you meet him. The guy is impossible to talk to. I’m afraid if I don’t have someone _literally_ watching my back, I’ll wake up with some weird-ass seascape tattoo.”

“He wouldn’t,” Rei said, but he was laughing. “Unless you made him _really_ mad.”

Rin pointed at Rei, “See?!

Sousuke chuckled, “Whatever, man. If it’s that important to you, I’ll go with.” He shook his head, grinning, “Actually, I kind of liked the designs you showed me. Maybe I’ll ask him about a coverup.”

“A coverup?” Rei asked. “For an old tattoo or something?”

Nagisa froze, shirt pulled half way over his head, but Sousuke just laughed. “Right, new guy. A coverup for this,” he said, hooking his fingers into the collar of his shirt and pulling it down to reveal the round, puckered scar on his shoulder.

Rei’s eyes went wide and he leaned a little closer to get a better look, “Shit. How did…?”

“I used to work security in a nightclub downtown,” Sousuke said, tugging his shirt back into place. “I didn’t know it at the time, but I guess the owner had financed the club through some… less than legal channels. He didn’t pay up, so the club got a visit.” Sousuke rubbed his shoulder absently, “For the record, getting shot in the shoulder hurts a hell of a lot more than the movies would have you believe.”

Nagisa was just about to interject with a not-more-than-30%-fabricated tale of Sousuke’s heroism on that fateful evening when Makoto rounded the corner and drew up short, “Oh! I didn’t realize you were all still here.” He paused, glancing between them, “Am I interrupting?”

“Nope,” Sousuke said, standing up and stretching his arms up over his head, “We were just planning a field trip to the local tattoo parlor, since the crybaby is too scared to go get inked by himself.”

“Hey!” Rin shouted.

“Oh,” Makoto said, “that sounds like fun!”

“I thought you were afraid of needles, Mako-chan,” Nagisa said, buttoning and zipping his jeans.

“Well, it’s not like I’d get anything done myself,” Makoto said.

“Still, though, wouldn’t it be-” Nagisa was cut off by the sound of his phone ringing. He frowned, reaching into his locker and pulling the phone out. He intended to ignore the call, but when he saw the name on the screen, he said, “Sorry, I need to take this.” The locker area was small, and he didn’t want to have to climb over everyone to get out, so he simply paced over to the far wall, answered the call, and put the phone to his ear, “Ama-chan?”

“Oh good, I managed to catch you. Do you have a moment to talk?”

“Yeah, what’s going on?” It was rare enough for his dance instructor to call that he knew it had to be something important. Were they doing callbacks for the Nutcracker already? Or was it something bad? Had he missed one of his tuition payments, or-

“No need to sound so nervous, Hazuki-san,” she said with a laugh, and Nagisa puffed out a breath, relaxing just a little. “I just wanted to let you know that the board finally made their decision about the fall fundraiser event.”

Nagisa’s heart stopped. “You don’t mean-”

“They accepted my proposal.” Nagisa stumbled back a step and sat down on the bench, hard. “I’m going to be in charge of the whole event.”

Nagisa clapped his hand over his mouth, let out a muffled little, “Ohmygod.”

“I know you were working on that Debussy piece for the school’s winter showcase, but do you think you’d be able to premier it a little early? Because I think it would be a perfect headliner for the event.”

“Ama-chan, oh my god!” Nagisa squealed.

She just let out a pretty little laugh, “I suppose I can take that as a yes?”

“Yes!!!!”

“Perfect. We’ll talk details after class tomorrow, but I wanted you to be the first to know.”

“Okay,” Nagisa said breathlessly, then, “Yes, okay, great.” His head was swimming. Performing at the seasonal gala – let alone _headlining_ the event – was something he could have never even imagined pulling off on his own, not at this stage in his career. He knew his teacher was taking a big, big chance on him. “Thank you,” he choked out.

“You earned it, Nagisa,” she said. “But you’d better believe I’m going to put you through your paces.”

He let out a little laugh that was half a sob, “I can’t wait.”

“That’s what I like to hear. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

They said their goodbyes and Nagisa hung up and took a shaky breath. This was his big chance. He turned, teary-eyed, to face his friends, who had gone silent and still behind him. And then he laughed, elation breaking through the shock, and shouted, “I got a gig!”

* * *

The news spread through the club like wildfire. Somehow, _everyone_ knew about The Call, even people showing up to start their shifts an hour after Nagisa was supposed to have left, and every one of them – coming off the stage in turns, showing up one after the other – wanted to know _everything_. He was starting to wonder if someone had gone out and changed the sign out front to say “Ask Nagisa About His Big Break!!!”

Eventually, though, once everyone was satisfied with what few details he had to share, Nagisa linked his arm with Rei’s and dragged him out the door before anyone else could stop him. In all the excitement, he’d almost forgotten he still had to take Rei to pick up his car.

Nagisa breathed a sigh of relief as he climbed into his car, then flashed Rei a tired smile as he settled into the passenger’s seat. “Sorry about all that. I didn’t mean to leave you stranded for so long.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Rei said, pulling his door shut, “I think I’m almost as excited as you are.” Nagisa shot him a skeptical look, and Rei held up his hands, “Okay, you’re right, I couldn’t possibly be. But I’m delighted that I’m going to get to see you dance, and Prelude a l’Apres-midi d’un Faune is one of my favorite pieces of music.”

Nagisa glanced over at him as he pulled out of the parking lot, “No kidding?”

“I’ve always loved Debussy,” Rei said. “His music is so… ethereal.”

Nagisa hummed his agreement, “It feels floaty and dreamy. Honestly I prefer dancing to it more traditionally, but Ama-chan has a soft spot for the Nijinsky choreography.”

“I can understand that,” Rei said, and Nagisa caught himself smiling, because _holy crap Rei knew what he was talking about_. “They stylized movements are unusual, but captivating.”

“I’d kiss you right now if I weren’t driving,” Nagisa said.

Rei blinked, “Not that I don’t appreciate the sentiment, but why?”

“Because I said ‘Nijinsky’ and you didn’t say ‘gesundheit.’”

Rei laughed, “Well, I’m glad _someone_ appreciates my encyclopedic knowledge of obscure trivia.” He shook his head, “Anyway, I really am excited. Last year’s gala was supposed to have been spectacular, but I wasn’t able to get tickets. It was one of the reasons I went in for season tickets this year.”

“Shit, I didn’t even think of that,” Nagisa said. “Because it’s a fundraising event, it’s season ticketholders and Friends of the Theater only. That means most of the guys won’t be able to get in.” He groaned, “Ugh, and my sisters are going to string me up if I tell them they can’t come see the show.”

Rei frowned, “Do you know if they allow performers spare tickets?”

“What, like a friends and family type thing?” He asked, pulling his car into the parking lot of O’Malley’s, “I’m not sure, but maybe. That’s a good idea, though. I’ll ask Ama-chan about it.”

“We’ll figure something out,” Rei said, leaning over and pressing a kiss to the corner of Nagisa’s mouth. “Do you have plans for dinner?”

“If by ‘plans’ you mean ‘buying a pile of tacos from the nearest drive-thru, eating them while I drive home, and then immediately collapsing into bed,’ then yes.”

Rei looked mildly horrified, “Please tell me you’re kidding.”

Nagisa just laughed, “I have to be up in the morning.”

“But you’re an athlete,” Rei protested, which only made Nagisa laugh harder.

“I don’t think anyone’s ever accused me of _that_ before.”

Rei huffed, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose, “I understand the desire for fast, inexpensive food, but for someone as perpetually in motion as you are, it’s doubly important to ensure that your body gets the nutrition it needs.”

Nagisa leaned his elbow on the steering wheel and turned to face Rei, his fingertips pressed lightly to his lips to keep his smile in check, “Alright then. What would you suggest I find to eat at this hour?”

Rei crossed his arms over his chest, sitting back in his seat and, evidently, genuinely considering it. Finally, he said, “There’s a little taqueria a few blocks away from your house. They stay open late, the service is fast, and they use high quality ingredients. Their carnitas is particularly good.”

“So your solution to my dietary woes is to eat a pile of tacos, but ones made with real meat instead of rat meat and wood shavings.”

“It’s certainly an improvement, don’t you think?”

Nagisa rolled his eyes, “I hate to ruin your sterling impression of me, but I have never met a piece of junk food I didn’t like.”

“…they have good horchata, too?”

“What’s a horchata?”

“A type of junk food you haven’t had the pleasure of meeting yet, evidently.”

Nagisa wrinkled his nose, “Cheater. What’s the address?”

“I don’t know off the top of my head, but you can follow me there. I could use a bite to eat myself.”

“If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were trying to trick me into a dinner date,” Nagisa said.

Rei laughed, “I promise, they do takeout. You can head home as soon as you get your order, I won’t try to keep you.” Then he added, with a sly little smile, “But could you really blame me for trying?”

Nagisa laughed, giving Rei’s arm a shove and pushing him toward the car door, “Go on, get out before I take you up on it and wind up sleeping through class tomorrow.”

Rei leaned in and gave him a quick peck on the lips before climbing out of the car, swinging the door shut, and jogging across the parking lot. Nagisa ran his fingertips lightly over his lips as he watched Rei climb into his own car. This boy was exactly the right kind of trouble.

* * *

Rei proved to be good to his word on all counts: the tacos were amazing, the horchata (which turned out to be some kind of sweet cinnamony rice milk) was delicious, and when Nagisa was tempted to linger in the cantina with the smell of fresh made tortillas and maybe a margarita, Rei turned him around, guided him outside, and instructed him sternly to go home and get some sleep.

It was a good thing, too, because the next day Miho worked him half to death from the moment he showed up for class until half an hour it was supposed to have ended. She’d set a grueling rehearsal schedule for him, too, which made sense given his newly accelerated timetable; he was going to have to cram a little more than two months worth of practice into a little less than four weeks.

By the time she let him go, he was sweaty and sore and wondering how in the world he was going to survive until his shift started at the club. A nap, maybe. A nap sounded good. Of course, that was about as far as that train of thought got before he noticed he had a message on his phone.

 

*ﾟ☆RinRin☆ﾟ*: yo text me when u finish class

Me: Hey, I just got done. What’s up?

*ﾟ☆RinRin☆ﾟ*: rei got me an apt w/ his tattoo friend this aft

*ﾟ☆RinRin☆ﾟ*: he says he left his sketch book at ur apt tho

*ﾟ☆RinRin☆ﾟ*: think u could bring it? ill text u the addy

 

Well, that was one way to pass the afternoon, and he _had_ said he would go with him.

 

Me: Sure, I’ll head over there right now.

Me: Is anyone else gonna be there?

*ﾟ☆RinRin☆ﾟ*: ya, sousuke’s here and makoto’s coming

*ﾟ☆RinRin☆ﾟ*: have u had lunch?

Me: Not yet. Want me to grab something on the way?

*ﾟ☆RinRin☆ﾟ*: nah rei said he’d bring food

Me: Okay cool. I’ll head over right now.

Me: Don’t forget to send the address!

*ﾟ☆RinRin☆ﾟ*: rite, see u soon

* * *

Haru’s tattoo parlor turned out to be way on the outskirts of town, where the city skyline petered out into quaint two-story brick buildings – apartments stacked on top of store fronts. Despite the fact that it was flanked by a coffee shop on one side and a dentist’s office on the other, the parlor didn’t look out of place – it looked like somewhere you would go to spend six months and a lot of money getting a very high quality tattoo, not the kind of place you would wander into drunk at three in the morning trying to get “your name” tattooed on your ass.

A little bell jingled as Nagisa pushed open the front door, and he was greeted with a cheery, “Hello, welcome to-” before the guy behind the front desk stopped short, frozen in abject horror.

Nagisa beamed, “Ai-chan!!!” He raced over and clutched Nitori’s hands, “Rei-chan told me you work here sometimes, but I didn’t expect to see you today!”

“N-nagisa?!”

“Surprise!” He smiled, tilting his head, “Man, it’s been way too long.”

“Uh, yeah. What, three, four y-”

“Am I _taller_ than you?!” Nagisa gaped. They’d been the two shortest kids in their dance class for _years_ , but Nitori had always been just a smidge taller.

“I don’t – hey, you can’t-!”

But Nagisa ignored him, slipping around behind the front desk and standing next to Nitori, trying to judge the difference between them, “I think I might be!”

“Nagisa-san, please! What are you _doing_ here?”

“Oh, my friend is supposed to get his tattoo done today, but the design got left at my place, so I was bringing it to him.”

“You’re here for uhm,” Nitori glanced down at his schedule book, “Matsuoka-san?”

“Right,” Nagisa said, shooting him a wink, “but don’t worry, I brought something for you, too.”

“F-for me?”

Nagisa dug around in his bag for a moment. Eventually, he pulled out a business card, and presented it ceremoniously to Nitori, “For you.”

Nitori looked at the card and frowned, “This is very nice of you, but I don’t need a dance coach. I quit performing two years ago.”

Nagisa blinked, then shook his head, “Nonono, this isn’t for you to hire her, it’s for her to hire _you_.” He pointed at the card, “She’s my faculty advisor at Danse Marie, but she just got put in charge of the fall fundraiser. This morning she mentioned that she thought she was going to need an assistant, and Rei-chan told me you do choreography now, so I mentioned your name to her and talked you up a little. She told me to tell you to give her a call.”

Nitori blinked, his mouth hanging open a little. “But you haven’t even seen me in years.”

Nagisa just shrugged, “You were always better at the technical stuff than I was, and you always worked five times harder than anyone else. Besides, you’ve got natural grace. That doesn’t just go away.” When Nitori continued just staring blankly at him, Nagisa added, “So call her, okay?”

“I will,” Nitori said. He gripped the card to his chest, then said more firmly, “I definitely will. Thank you, Nagisa-san.”

“I’m sure you’ll be a great fit for the job, and Ama-chan is a fantastic lady.” He hesitated, then added, “I was really sad when Rei-chan told me you quit dancing, but I’m glad you didn’t give it up completely.”

“Yeah, well, I love dancing, but I got sick of losing out on parts because of my height.”

“I feel you there,” Nagisa said with a wince. A little too well, in fact, but he pushed that thought to the back of his head. “Anyway, I shouldn’t keep them waiting,” he said, “but we should catch up sometime. My number’s on the back of the card.”

“Right,” Nitori said, “Yeah, absolutely, I… Thank you.”

Nagisa gave him a little salute, then ducked through the curtain that separated the reception area from the rest of the tattoo parlor. He found Rin lounging on his stomach on one of the reclining seats, shirtless, and Sousuke sitting on the tattooist’s seat next to him, also shirtless. “I’m just saying,” Sousuke said, “This is your last chance to escape with your lily white skin intact.”

Rin reached out to try to slap him, but Sousuke dodged out of the way, “I’m not _that_ pale, you bastard.”

“Trying to talk him out of it?” Nagisa asked with a grin.

Sousuke shrugged, “Just trying to make sure he’s sure.”

Rin rolled his eyes, “You’re only saying that cuz you haven’t seen the design yet. Did you bring it, Nagi?”

“Yeah, hang on,” Nagisa said. He looked around, but he didn’t want to put his stinky gym bag on anything that was supposed to be sterilized, so he plopped it on the floor, bent down, unzipped the bag, and started rifling through it looking for Rei’s sketchbook.

“You must be Nagisa.” The voice came from directly behind him, and Nagisa’s eyes went a little wide. Nagisa glanced back over his shoulder and, sure enough, found a dark haired guy with blue, blue eyes staring very blatantly at his ass. It took a lot for a stranger to be able to make Nagisa blush, but that did it. It wasn’t even that the guy was _looking_ or that he was being _obvious_ about it, but that he had evidently – and correctly – used Nagisa’s butt as an identifying feature. He and Rei were going to have a _talk_.

Nagisa grabbed Rei’s sketchbook out of his bag and stood up, forcing himself to be slow and casual about it, like he hadn’t just been standing there with his ass in the air, even though he could see Rin shaking with barely restrained laughter. “That’s right,” he said. “You must be Haru-chan.”

If the endearment bothered him, he didn’t show it; he just nodded and held his hand out for the notebook. Nagisa flipped it open to the right page and handed it to him so he could look over Rei’s design. Haru was maybe an inch or two shorter than Rei and somehow more delicate – narrower and leaner, with a softer line to his jaw. But what struck Nagisa the most was that Haru had none of Rei’s easy expressiveness; Rei’s every thought and emotion played out on his face, but looking at Haru was like looking into a pool of deep, still water, and Nagisa was immediately torn between the desire to touch the surface and watch it ripple and to just stare down into that perfect, glassy stillness.

Haru flipped back through the notebook, giving a more cursory glance to the earlier drafts – viewing the evolution of the design in reverse. It was only then that Nagisa noticed that Haru’s entire left arm was tattooed blue – not a solid color, but dozens and dozens of them, like looking up through the ocean at the sky, the watery surface interspersed with delicate bubbles and beams of light. Suddenly Rin’s crack about waking up with a seascape tattooed on his back made more sense, but Nagisa wasn’t entirely sure it would be a bad thing – the design, as much as it could be called that, was absolutely stunning.

“I can work with this,” Haru said abruptly. He jerked a thumb, shooing Sousuke out of his chair. Sousuke frowned, but moved down to the next seat as Haru took his place, “This is your first tattoo?” Rin nodded, and Haru said, “Okay. How’s your pain tolerance?”

“It’s good, I think,” Rin said.

“It’s really not,” Sousuke countered.

Rin looked to Nagisa for backup, but he just shrugged helplessly, “He’s kind of a crier.”

“I am _not!_ ”

“I don’t care,” Haru said. “It only matters for how much work we can do at once, and how long you need to recover in between.” He set down Rei’s notebook and pulled a thick binder out from under his chair, then started flipping through pages tucked safely in plastic sleeves, “I charge by the hour, so it’ll be the same either way, I just need to know how to schedule you.”

“I guess we’ll find out,” Rin grumbled.

Haru grunted, “I want to make sure you know what you’re getting yourself into.” He passed Rin the notebook, “So let’s talk process and fees.”

If ever there were a combination of words that could make Nagisa lose interest in a conversation faster than those ones, he hadn’t heard them. He shoved his bag out of the way into a corner and cheerfully perched himself on the chair next to Sousuke. “So,” he said, leaning in conspiratorially, “I get why RinRin is going full beefcake, but what happened to _your_ shirt, Sou-chan?”

Sousuke reached over and flicked Nagisa’s nose, “I told you yesterday, I was asking Nanase about a cover-up.”

That didn’t answer why he _still_ had his shirt off, but… “Did he have any ideas?”

Sousuke crossed his arms over his chest, “His brilliant suggestion was to talk to Ryuugazaki.”

Sousuke wasn’t exactly trying to keep his voice down, and Haru snapped back at him, “Because you have no idea what you want.”

“I thought you were the big creative genius,” Sousuke said. “Isn’t Ryuugazaki your apprentice? Or is he actually the one with the talent?”

“No,” Haru said mildly, “He’s the one with the patience.”

For a moment, you could have heard a pin drop.

Then Nagisa clapped his hands together, “Why don’t we look through their sample book together, see if we can come up with anything while we wait?”

Sousuke shot him a sour look, but sighed, “Yeah, sure, why not?”

“It’s on the back counter,” Haru said, and Nagisa practically leapt out of his seat to go retrieve it. He considered suggesting that Sousuke change seats, just to lessen the probability that he and Haru would actually start bearing their teeth or marking their territory, but he couldn’t think of an inconspicuous way to do it. Instead, he flipped through the binders on the counter Haru had indicated and stacked up the ones with photos and designs in them, taking a moment to observe Sousuke.

It wasn’t like him to be so churlish. Sure, he’d never been the best with new people, and he was pretty quiet by nature, but actively sniping at strangers wasn’t really his jam, and Nagisa couldn’t figure out what had inspired the change. That is, until he saw Sousuke’s jaw clench, and followed his gaze to where Haru was leaned over Rin, pressing his fingertips lightly to Rin’s back and speaking to him quietly.

“Oh for…” Nagisa picked a pen up off the counter and threw it at Sousuke’s head.

Sousuke flinched, breaking his death stare with the back of Haru’s head, and Nagisa rolled his eyes dramatically at him. Sousuke at least had the decency to look embarrassed, and when Nagisa waved him over, he came and brought the pen with him. “The hell was that for?” he whispered.

Nagisa rolled his eyes again, then fished his phone out of his pocket and hastily typed out: _Jealousy doesn’t suit you_. Sousuke puffed out his chest defensively, and Nagisa typed another line: _He’ll only be a threat if you make him one_.

Sousuke took a deep breath, running his hand back through his hair, then sighed, “Are we going to look at the stupid book or not?”

“Unless you want me to personally tattoo a smiley face on your scar to remind you to chill out, I think we probably should.”

Sousuke grunted, pulling the top book off the pile and flipping it open.

Rei showed up just a few minutes later, burdened with bags full of amazing smelling food and a slightly over-filled drink caddy. Nagisa gave him a coy little finger wave from where he was leaned against the counter, and Rei winked back at him before calling out everyone’s orders and passing out the food. He saved Nagisa’s for last, pulling up a stool and sitting down across from him and Sousuke before putting the last bag down on the counter between them.

“Extra cheese, extra pickles, no onion?” He asked, passing Nagisa a hamburger.

Nagisa’s eyes widened a little, “How’d you know?”

“Rin,” he admitted. “But this was my idea,” he said, passing Nagisa a big Styrofoam cup.

Nagisa tilted his head, but took a sip instead of asking. It was a strawberry milkshake. He put his hand to his lips and giggled, “I thought junk food was a no-no.”

Rei just shrugged, “I figured you probably had a rough morning.”

“Charmer.”

Rei smiled, but glanced over at Sousuke, who was eating his burger with one hand and flipping through the design book with the other. “Find anything that piques your interest?”

Sousuke grunted, “Yes and no. I like the style, which is why I’m here, but I dunno if I’ve seen anything I want, you know, _on me_.” Rei made a sympathetic but noncommittal sound, and Sousuke kept flipping through the book. Nagisa watched with barely veiled amusement as Rei unwrapped his burger, pressed it flat, and cut it in half with a plastic knife before eating it. “I like the way he does flowers,” Sousuke said finally, “and I was thinking it could maybe be, like, the center part, you know?” He gestured to his scar, “with the petals around it, kind of soft and abstract? But I don’t know shit about flowers.”

“Ooh, but Rei is like _Mr. Flowers_.”

Rei sputtered, “I think that’s a bit of an exaggeration.” Nagisa frowned, for a moment wondering if he’d read too much into that first flower Rei had given him. Then Rei added, “I mean, I find the language of flowers fascinating, but I’m hardly an expert on the subject.”

“I don’t even have a particular meaning in mind, though,” Sousuke said.

“What about a color?” Rei asked, “That might help narrow it down.”

Sousuke made a thoughtful sound, crossing his arms over his chest, and Nagisa caught his eyes wandering. “Red,” he said after a moment.

Rei pulled one of the books over and flipped it open, “Well, red is-” But Nagisa put his hand on Rei’s, interrupting him and guiding Rei’s gaze to follow Sousuke’s… right across the room to Rin. “Red,” Rei repeated, turning back and looking thoughtfully at Sousuke’s expression, “Yeah, I can work with that. Let me think.” Rei nibbled absently at his food, his attention clearly elsewhere, and Nagisa took the opportunity to crack into his own burger and steal a fistful of Rei’s french fries. “It would need to have an obvious center,” Rei mused, slapping Nagisa’s hand away as he reached for more fries, “which rules out a lot of the common ones. And Haru’s style would work better with a flower with fewer petals… maybe a hibiscus or-” he stopped abruptly, then snapped his fingers, “What do you think of poppies, Yamazaki-san?”

“I’m reasonably confident that they’re a type of flower,” Sousuke said dryly.

“Right,” Rei said. “Would you wait here one moment?” Sousuke just shrugged at him. Rei started toward the back room, thought better of it, then grabbed his french fries and took them with him, ignoring Nagisa’s pout. A few minutes later he re-emerged with a notebook similar to the one he’d left at Nagisa’s house but a little more banged up. “I had to do some flower studies a few…” he shook his head, “No, never mind, it’s not important. Here.” He flipped open the notebook and laid it out on the counter. “What do you think of this?”

It was an actual watercolor painting, maybe the size of Nagisa’s palm, a little splash of crimson that looked somewhere between a flower, a smeared lip print, and a bloodstain – a bloody kiss pressed to a puckered black stamen. It was also the exact color of Rin’s eyes. Sousuke sucked in a breath, reaching out toward the painting but stopping just short of actually touching it. “You designed this?”

“I _painted_ it,” Rei corrected. “It wasn’t meant to be a tattoo design, but if you like it I think Haru might be able to replicate the effect, or something similar.”

“Yeah,” Sousuke said, nodding vaguely. He reached up and rubbed his shoulder, “Fuck, man, that’s kinda creepy.”

Rei blinked, “Well, I mean, it’s perhaps a little on the gory side, but-”

“Not the-” Sousuke let out an irritated breath, “Not the flower. I meant… This asshole,” he said, nodding his head back toward Haru, “was like ‘tell me what you want,’ and I was like ‘fuck if I know,’ and you were like ‘here, this is exactly what you had no idea you wanted. I painted it for a fucking class or something.’”

“Oh,” Rei said, fiddling with his glasses, “Well, I’m glad you like it.”

Before Sousuke could say anything else, the bell on the front door jingled, and a moment later Makoto pushed through the curtain.

“Mako-chan, you made it!” Nagisa cheered.

“Sorry I’m so late everyone! I must have copied the address down wrong, because I ended up at a dry cleaners like three blocks down, and it took me forever to get turned back around. Did I miss lunch?”

“Not at all,” Rei said, passing him one of the paper bags, “though it might be a little cold, and I suspect Nagisa may have eaten some of your french fries.”

“Narc,” Nagisa said sulkily, but Makoto just laughed.

“Oh, I don’t mind. I never eat them all anyway.”

Nagisa didn’t notice that Haru had gotten up until he was right in front of Makoto, holding out his hand, “Nanase Haruka.”

Makoto shifted the bag under his arm and reached out to shake Haru’s hand, smiling warmly, “Tachibana Makoto. It’s a pleasure, I’ve been hearing a lot about you the last few days.”

“Good things, I hope,” Haru said, and Nagisa could swear his expression rippled – almost a smile.

Makoto chuckled, “Oh, I think Rin would be embarrassed if I told you how good. He can be very flattering when he’s drunk.”

Haru regarded Makoto silently for a moment, then turned around, “Rei, you should go grab a couple beers from the back. I think we’re going to need them.”

“Hey! You are _not_ going to win this argument by _getting me drunk!_ ” Rin shouted.

Makoto tilted his head curiously, “What argument?”

“Should I actually…?” Rei started.

Haru said, “Yes.”

Rin snapped, “No!”

“He’s being difficult,” Haru explained, and Makoto giggled.

“ _I’m_ being difficult? You’re the one who isn’t listening,” Rin snapped.

“A tattoo isn’t finished until it’s finished,” Haru said.

“Oh my _god_ ,” Rin said, like it was the eight hundredth time he’d heard Haru say those exact words, “I _know_ that. All I’m saying is, I’d rather it not look like a work in progress for six months.”

Haru gestured toward Rin, as though his words were all the proof the rest of them should need that Rin was obviously a madman.

“Don’t you,” Rin made an excessively elaborate sweeping gesture with his arms, “me. I’m being perfectly reasonable.”

“…I’m going to go grab a beer,” Rei said.

“Don’t you dare!” Rin shouted.

“It’s not for you,” Rei shot back.

“Uhm, I’m still not sure I understand,” Makoto said.

“The tattoo he wants is going to take months to finish,” Haru said. “Normally I’d do all the lines, then all the shading, then all the color. But with short sessions-”

“It’s gonna be a train wreck from start to finish,” Rin interrupted.

“A work in progress is a work in progress,” Haru said, which only made Rin growl in frustration.

Sensing that Makoto was slipping slowly into mediator mode – and that this argument was not going to resolve itself quickly – Nagisa waved Makoto over, patting the seat Rei had vacated, “Mako-chan, c’mere, I’m still hungry.”

Makoto glanced over, momentarily bewildered, then remembered the food he was holding and joined Nagisa at the counter. Makoto unrolled the top of the bag and held it out in offer as he sat down, but his eyes wandered back to where Rin and Haru were still arguing. Nagisa reached into the bag and pulled out Makoto’s hamburger. “Mako-chan,” he said again, drawing Makoto’s attention so he could put the burger in his hands, “Eat.”

Nagisa waited until Makoto did as he was told before tuning back into the argument and taking his payment in the form of one last french fry. Maybe two.

Haru sighed, “But even if we do it piece by piece, you’ll be constantly tacking on lines to a piece of finished tattoo. That’s just how it is.”

Rei returned from the back room, and contrary to what he’d said, he handed both Rin and Haru a bottle of beer, “That’s not necessarily true, though, is it?”

“What do you mean?” Haru asked.

Rei circled around them, taking a sip of his beer and looking down at his sketchbook, which they’d left open on the tool tray. “You’re thinking about it in chunks,” he said, gesturing down at the design, “This part, then this part, then this part. Right?”

Haru nodded.

“Okay, so that makes sense with the flow of the design, but what if…” he glanced up at Rin, “Which part do you want done first?”

“Uh, the shoulder, probably?” Rin said, gesturing to his arm, “Like, the back of my shoulder, and up and over?”

“Okay, so, what if you start here,” Rei said, pointing, “do the lines, shading, color, then once that’s done do lines a little farther up the arm and down the back, then shading, then color, and just keep expanding it that way?”

“Yeah,” Rin said, “Why not do it that way?”

“I don’t see the point,” Haru said. “It’s unfinished either way. Besides, it would take longer.”

“It would be slower,” Rei conceded, “but it’s a little more subtle, and I think that’s what he’s aiming for.”

“What he said,” Rin said, tipping his beer towards Rei.

Haru closed his eyes and puffed out a sigh, “This is ridiculous.”

“Huh? Where are you going?” Rin asked as Haru stood up and started walking away.

“Haru,” Rei objected, then, “Wait, what are you-?”

But Haru just put his hands on Rei’s shoulders and sat him down in the chair next to Rin, “You do it.”

“I- _what?_ ” Rei sputtered, but when he tried to stand back up, Haru pushed him back down into the chair.

“Your design, your plan, you do it.”

Rei said, “I couldn’t possibly!” at the exact moment Rin said, “Would you?”

Rei looked at Rin, aghast, then at Haru, “But I’m not ready.”

Haru let out a deep, bone-weary sigh, “Yes, you are.”

Rei gaped at Haru for a long moment, then turned to face Rin, “You’d trust me to do this?”

Rin puffed out a nervous little laugh, “Way to make it weird, man.” He shook his head, “I mean, yeah? You clearly get what I want, and I did cry all over you in a bar, which I guess counts for something in the trust department.”

“Great,” Haru said, “I’ll go get the paperwork.”

“Right,” Rei said, picking up Haru’s notes and rifling through them, “and I guess I’ll try not to horribly disfigure you?”

“Whoa, cool it with the confidence Ryuugazaki,” Rin said, “You wouldn’t want to inflate my expectations.”

Rei snorted, then glanced at his watch, “I still have a few hours before I need to be at work. Do you still want to start today? Haru’s estimates for session length seem a bit conservative, so I’d like to get a sense for how much you can handle in a sitting so we can draw up a more informed timetable.”

“Uh, yeah,” Rin said, thrown by Rei’s abrupt shift into professional mode, but he recovered quickly, flashing a wicked grin, “Yeah, let’s do this.”

Haru came back with a stack of papers, which he dropped in Rin’s lap, “Read and sign.”

Rin groaned, but Rei nodded approvingly, “Then I guess I’ll go clean up and get the equipment ready.”

“You’re gonna give me a good deal on this, right?” Rin asked, already flipping through the paperwork.

“Nope,” Rei said cheerfully, gathering up his sketchbook and Haru’s notes and heading into the back room.

“Oi, Nanase,” Sousuke said.

Haru turned toward him, arching an eyebrow.

“Does that mean you’re free for the afternoon?”

“Why?”

Sousuke held up Rei’s painting.

Haru sighed, then called out, “Rei.”

From the back room, Rei said, “Absolutely not.”

“Fine,” Haru said, nodding his head toward the seat Sousuke had vacated earlier.

“Great,” Sousuke said.

Haru headed back toward the front entrance, presumably to retrieve another stack of paperwork, but hesitated half way through the curtain and said, “Told you he was good.”

Sousuke just grunted, settling himself down in the chair.

Makoto leaned over and whispered to Nagisa, “What just happened?”

“I have no idea,” Nagisa whispered, taking a sip of his milkshake, “but I think we’re gonna be here for a while.”

* * *

Somehow, Haru managed to convince Makoto to pull up a chair and watch him while he worked on Sousuke, but Nagisa needed no such encouragement. He didn’t even wait for Rin to finish signing all the paperwork before he dragged one of the folding reception chairs over, sat down on it backwards, folded his arms over the backrest, and rested his chin on his arm. When Rei noticed Nagisa staring fixedly at him, he raised an eyebrow, “No pressure or anything.”

“Oh, sorry,” Nagisa said, covering his eyes. When he peeked between his fingers, Rei was still giving him a skeptical look.

“I doubt this is going to be very interesting to watch,” he said, changing tactics.

“I disagree,” Nagisa said, smiling brightly.

Rei paused, considering him for a moment, then sighed, “You’re going to stare at me like that the whole time, aren’t you?”

“I could stare at you like this instead,” Nagisa said, laying his cheek on his arm and gazing up at Rei adoringly.

“T-that-”

“Should be illegal, right?” Rin said, handing Rei the stack of paperwork, “Like a fucking lethal weapon.”

Rei snorted, flipping through the paperwork to make sure Rin had signed in all the right places. “Alright, looks good. You ready?”

“As I’ll ever be.”

Rei cast another wary glance in Nagisa’s direction, and when Nagisa batted his eyelashes at him, he reached over and combed Nagisa’s bangs forward so they covered his eyes. “There. That’s better,” he said, ignoring Nagisa’s pout. When he turned away, Nagisa puffed his bangs back out of his eyes and watched as Rei and rubbed hand sanitizer all over his hands, pulled on a pair of gloves, and finished setting up the last of his equipment.

Watching Rei work was more soothing than Nagisa expected – the ritual of the preparations; the careful movements of Rei’s hands as he created something from nothing with the tip of a needle; the sound of his voice, calm and steady and soothing whenever Rin started to tense up from the pain; the intensity and focus and confidence on his face, despite all his reservations and protests about his abilities. Nagisa was full of food, relaxed and tired and pleasantly drowsy, and he found himself mesmerized by the sight of flowers blooming on Rin’s skin and the sound of Rei’s voice filling the silence with trivia about the history of tattooing and the way the various pigments were made and… the words blurred together, underscored by the steady buzzing hum of the needle, but they made Nagisa feel warm and content.

By the time Rei declared that he had to call it quits, Nagisa was solidly asleep and Rin had what could pass for a finished tattoo. It was more of a sakura twig than a sakura branch, just a little thing on the back of his shoulder, but it was beautiful. Rei snapped a picture on his phone so Rin could see it, and Rin spent a solemn moment admiring it before pulling Rei into a (not at all teary) hug.

Haru finished working on Sousuke around the time Rei finished covering up Rin’s tattoo and reciting his long list of very detailed care instructions, and as soon as Rei turned him loose, Rin sidled over to take a look, “So what did you decide on anyway? You didn’t show me before you-” He stopped cold as soon as he saw it, breath catching in his throat and body going rigid. He put his hand to his mouth, eyes raising up to Sousuke’s, searching. It took a moment for him to find his voice, and when he did, it sounded like it was sticking inside his throat, “You…?”

“Remember?” Sousuke supplied, but had the grace to drop his eyes. “Yeah.”

“…Oh.” Rin said.

Sousuke chewed his lip, not looking up.

“Do you…” Rin started, but when Sousuke’s gaze slid up to meet his, his sentence crumbled. “Dinner? After?”

Sousuke smiled, soft and easy, “Yeah.”

Rin nodded stupidly for a moment, then pointed over his shoulder at the door, “I’m gonna…”

Sousuke nodded, “Okay.”

Rin didn’t flee the room so much as evaporate from it; there one moment, gone the next, the flutter of the curtain leading to the reception area the only sign of his passing.  
  
Haru looked at the curtain, then at Sousuke, then rolled his eyes, resumed his seat, and started applying ointment to Sousuke’s shoulder. “Rei,” he said after a moment.

Rei tore his (bewildered) gaze from where Rin had vanished, “Hm?”

“Is your boyfriend weird and high maintenance, too, or is it just his friends?” Haru asked, then glanced at Makoto, “No offense.”

“None taken,” Makoto said with a smile. “Right here,” Sousuke griped. “B-boyfriend?!” Rei sputtered.

“You know, the sleepy blond,” Haru said.

Rei looked over at Nagisa, who was splayed out on his chair in a way that managed to toe the line between cherubic and pornographic, snoring softly. Rei adjusted his glasses. He realized it had been a joke, not even a rhetorical question, but, “I don’t think you can accuse someone who fell asleep in a folding chair in the middle of an active tattoo parlor of being high maintenance,” he said finally.

“Wow,” Haru said after a moment. “You’ve got it bad.”

Rei sucked in a breath, ready to snap back at him, but before he had the chance, Makoto said, “I’m going to go check on Rin. And I should probably get going soon, anyway. Thank you for letting me watch you work, Nanase-san. You’re incredibly talented.”

“It was no trouble,” Haru said, peeling off his glove and holding his hand out to Makoto, “And just Haru is fine.”

Makoto shook Haru’s hand, smiling warmly, “You can call me Makoto, then.”

“Makoto,” Haru repeated. “You should sit for me sometime.”

Makoto tilted his head, bewildered, “Sit for you?”

“Ah, right. I do watercolor and charcoal, not just tattoos.”

“Oh,” Makoto said, still clearly not quite putting the pieces together.

“He’s asking you to model for him,” Rei said dryly.

Haru shot him a withering look, but Makoto said, “Oh!” then, “Oh. I’ve never… I mean, I don’t think I’d be any good. I’ve never done anything like that before.”

“You can sit still,” Haru said. “That’s really all it takes.”

“Really?” Makoto asked, and when Haru nodded, he said, “Well, I mean, sure. It might be fun to have someone draw me, and I really did enjoy watching you work today.”

Haru pulled a card out of his pocket and handed it to Makoto, “Call me when you’re free. We’ll set something up.”

“I definitely will,” Makoto said, pocketing the card. “Anyway, I should get going. Goodnight everyone!”

They all waved him off, but as soon as they heard the jingle of a bell signaling that Makoto had left the building, Sousuke snorted, “And you think Ryuugazaki’s got it bad.”

“I was waiting for you to drop your cheesy ‘you have excellent bone structure’ line on him,” Rei quipped.

“Fuck you both,” Haru said, settling back down in his seat and putting on a fresh pair of gloves to finish patching up Sousuke. “At least he said yes.”

“Though out of politeness or genuine interest, only time will tell,” Rei mused.

“Don’t you have to be somewhere?” Haru snapped.

Rei laughed, but Haru was right. If they didn’t hurry up, he and Nagisa were going to be late for work. He shook his head and knelt down in front of Nagisa, reaching up to brush Nagisa’s bangs out of his eyes.

Nagisa drew in a quiet breath, not quite opening his eyes as he leaned into Rei’s touch. “Rei?” he mumbled, “What happened?”

“You fell asleep,” Rei said softly.

Nagisa groaned, wiping the corners of his mouth on his arm before reaching up to rub his eyes with the heels of his hands. “What time is it?”

“Time for us to get to work.”

Nagisa groaned again, folding his arms back on the chair and burying his face in them, “Tell Gou I got abducted by aliens or something.”

“Somehow, I don’t think she would believe me.”

Nagisa peeked up over his arm, giving Rei a slightly blurry, appraising look, “You should carry me.”

“Carry you.” Rei repeated, but he couldn’t quite keep the amusement out of his voice.

“Mm, I think I deserve a piggyback ride.”

“I can’t tell if you’re still asleep, serious, or messing with me.”

“Which option is most likely to get me a piggyback ride?”

“Still asleep.”

Nagisa instantly put his head back down on his arm, closed his eyes, and started snoring conspicuously.

And it was so ridiculously cute, so absurdly endearing, that Rei said, “Okay, fine.”

Nagisa looked up, far too hastily for someone who was actually asleep, and said, “Wait, really?”

By way of an answer, Rei simply knelt down on the floor next to Nagisa’s chair. Nagisa didn’t hesitate to climb onto his back, slinging his arms around Rei’s neck and letting Rei catch and hold his legs up around his waist. When Rei stood up like Nagisa weighed nothing at all, Nagisa let out surprised, delighted little squeal, hugging himself a little tighter to Rei’s back.

Rei hefted him up, like he was adjusting an unusually large backpack, and said, “You’re lighter than I expected.”

Nagisa giggled, “And you’re still trying to pretend you don’t work out.”

Rei huffed, “Are you ready to go?”

“Yeah!” Nagisa cheered, then, “Oh wait, no, my bag.”

Rei turned, and they spent a moment staring silently at Nagisa’s gym bag on the floor in the corner, strategizing.

“Whatever you’re thinking, don’t,” Sousuke said, pushing himself up out of his chair and heading over to pick up Nagisa’s bag himself. Nagisa held out his hands and grabbed the handles of the bag when Sousuke handed it over. He wound up leaning forward on Rei’s shoulder, the bag hanging down in front of them.

“Is this okay?” Nagisa asked.

“It’s a little ridiculous,” Rei said.

“It’s also the best thing that has _ever happened to me_.”

“In that case, I guess we’ll be off.” Rei said, hefting him again. “Haru, Yamazaki-san.”

Sousuke gave a little wave, and Haru nodded.

“G’night guys!” Nagisa called.

“Watch your head,” Rei sad as he led them through the curtain into the reception area.

Nagisa ducked down, then popped back up, meeting Nitori’s bewildered look with a smile, “Night Ai-chan!”

“Uh, goodnight?”

“Door?” Rei said, giving Nitori a nod of acknowledgement. Nagisa reached out awkwardly to grab onto the door handle, pulling it inward, and somehow they managed to get it open enough to slip outside.

Immediately to the left of the door, Rin was sitting on the ground, hugging his legs to his chest, forehead on his knees. Makoto was crouched over him, and when he spotted Rei and Nagisa, he hastily waved them in the other direction, signaling both that everything was okay and that they should probably run for their lives.

Rei took the hint, turning them in the opposite direction and setting off at a brisk pace.

Once he was sure they were out of earshot, Rei asked, “Where’d you park?”

Nagisa wrinkled his nose, “About a block and a half back that way.”

“Of course,” Rei laughed.

“You can put me down if you want to.”

But Rei just shook his head, “It’s not that far. We’ll just loop around.”

Nagisa gave him a little squeeze, then asked, “Do you know what happened to Rin-chan?”

“I’m not really sure,” Rei admitted. “He saw Sousuke’s tattoo, and they both started acting weird.”

“Weird how?”

“Like, uncomfortable? Sousuke said he remembered something, and then Rin asked him to dinner and ran away.”

“He rememb… ohmygod.”

“What?”

“I think… Okay this is both pure speculation and completely confidential.”

“Okay?”

“ _No one_ knows this,” he emphasized, “but Rin-chan was there when Sou-chan woke up in the ICU after he got shot, and Rin-chan might have maybe gotten swept up in the moment and kissed him. He didn’t think Sou-chan knew, because he on a lot of pain medication, and neither of them ever said anything about it, but I guess maybe he really did remember?”

“But what does any of that have to do with the tattoo? It was just a poppy.”

“A sexy, bloody poppy,” Nagisa corrected, “but yeah, I have no idea.” He sighed, “Man, I wish I hadn’t fallen asleep. I’ve been waiting for like a year to witness their inevitable awkward bro confession.”

Rei laughed, “I told you watching me work was going to be boring.”

“Huh? What are you talking about?”

“It literally put you to sleep.”

“It wasn’t boring at all,” Nagisa objected, leaning forward to try to look at Rei’s face, “I _loved_ watching you work. You have such beautiful hands, and it’s like everything you touch turns beautiful, too.” Rei glanced back at him, eyebrow raised skeptically, but Nagisa puffed his cheeks out, stubborn, “I only fell asleep because you have a really soothing voice.”

“Hmm, I thought it was because you had a hard rehearsal this morning,” Rei said, but he sounded pleased.

“I think you underestimate yourself,” Nagisa said quietly.

“A bad habit,” Rei said after a moment. “I’m working on it.”

“Rin loved his tattoo, though, didn’t he?”

“I feel like we hardly got anything done, but yeah, he seemed happy.”

“Seemed?”

Rei chuckled, “Okay, he literally wept tears of joy and hugged me until I couldn’t breathe.”

“Mm, I’m not sure, it sounds like he might have hated it.”

“Oh hush.”

Nagisa leaned in and pressed a kiss to Rei’s neck, “Haru-chan believes in you, too.”

“I think he just didn’t have the patience for Rin.”

“Nuh uh. He sounded so sick of hearing you say you weren’t ready. And he talked you up to Sou-chan, too, and I’m pretty sure he _hates_ Sou-chan. Like, we probably shouldn’t have even left them alone together.”

Rei was quiet for a moment, and Nagisa was just starting to wonder if he’d said something wrong when he finally spoke up, “I hate the idea of making mistakes. Knowing I could make a mistake that someone else will have to live with still freaks me out more than I care to admit.”

“It’s a rough job for a perfectionist,” Nagisa said, “but I wouldn’t want anyone doing it who _wasn’t_ one.”

Rei chuckled, “Fair enough. Do you see your car?”

“Uhhmm…”Nagisa glanced up, scanning the street, then pointed. “Over there!” he said, bouncing a little on Rei’s back, “Giddy up!”

“I am _not_ a horse,” Rei groused.

Nagisa smiled, leaning in close and whispering softly into Rei’s ear, “But you wouldn’t mind letting me ride you, would you Rei-chan?”

Rei’s back went rigid, and Nagisa could feel the heat wash over him in a satisfying rush.

Nagisa leaned in, nipping at Rei’s earlobe, “That’s what you get for what you said to Haru-chan about my butt.”

That made Rei stop dead in his tracks, “He _told_ you?!”

“No, but now _you’re_ going to,” Nagisa said.

“Absolutely not.”

“It’s really that bad?”

Rei sighed, hanging his head, “In my defense, I was drunk at the time, and it was before we’d properly met.”

“Okay, now I’m _really_ curious. You should tell me.”

Rei opened his mouth, then closed it, “Maybe later. In _private_.” Before Nagisa could object, Rei glanced back at him, “But wait, how did you know?”

“Because he walked into the room, looked at my ass, and went ‘hey Nagisa, nice to meet you!’”

Rei groaned, “I’m going to murder him.”

“Maybe just stop feeding him salacious little tidbits about me,” Nagisa said as they drew up alongside his car.

Rei let go of Nagisa’s legs and grabbed onto the duffel bag so Nagisa could slide down to his feet, then handed it to him once he’d gotten situated. “You awake enough to drive?”

Nagisa nodded, “Yeah, the nap actually really helped. I’ll see you at work?”

“Uhm,” Rei said, “there was something that Haru said. While you were asleep.”

Nagisa tilted his head.

Rei ducked his head, rubbing the back of his neck, “He called you my boyfriend. Is that- I mean, are we-?”

“Rei-chan,” Nagisa started.

Rei waved his hands, “I mean, I know it hasn’t been very long, and obviously we’re dating, but we haven’t really-”

“Rei,” Nagisa said, putting his hand gently on Rei’s arm, “I thought it was pretty obvious from the hour we spent in my bed talking about sex and boundaries, but just to be clear: yes, I would like to be in an exclusive relationship with you.”

Rei’s relief was palpable, and when he huffed out a laugh and smiled, he practically glowed, “That’s great. That’s,” he shook his head, grinning, “Me, too.”

“Boyfriends?” Nagisa said with a smile.

Rei nodded, leaning down to press a kiss to his lips, “Boyfriends.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A few quick housekeeping things. Rei's painting/Sousuke's tattoo is based on [this](https://www.flickr.com/photos/mitsi/4437908206/). Also, [this](http://theshannonlewis.tumblr.com/post/126602038076/grand-pas-de-deux-sourin-side-drabble) is an angsty little drabble from Rin's POV about what, exactly, happened at the hospital, if you're curious!


	6. Intermission

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Haru attempts to give his best friend some relationship advice, Rei falls apart a little, and Nagisa is left to pick up the pieces.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ***READ ME***  
> I intended for this chapter to stand on its own, and be a part of my collection of Grand Pas one shots ([here](http://archiveofourown.org/works/4784195/chapters/10945556), if you missed it), because it's from Rei's POV rather than Nagisa's, and takes place somewhat out of the sequence of events of the rest of the story. But, my beta firmly insisted that this chapter was too important not to be included in the main story, so: here it is. This takes place a few days before the events of Chapter 6, and some time after the MakoHaru one shot [Sketch](http://archiveofourown.org/works/4784195/chapters/10946714).
> 
>  ~~I'll probably shift this chapter back one once I post the next one, for the sake of continuity, but I don't want to accidentally bury it or make it harder to find, so for now, my apologies that it's a bit out of order. I hope you enjoy :D~~ This has now happened!

“I have to admit,” Haru said, taking a slow sip of his beer, “this is the nicest strip club I’ve ever been in.”

Rei snorted, “Says the connoisseur. How many other strip clubs have you been in?”

“I went to a Chippendales once.”

“Rescuing Nitori from that bachelorette party doesn’t count.” Though the look on the poor kid’s face had been priceless; he’d been ill-informed about the night’s activities, and about what, exactly, his role as “gay bff” entailed.

Haru shrugged, “It’s still nicer than I expected.”

“It can get a little rowdy when it’s crowded, but Gou-san runs a tight ship.” At the moment, though, it was one of the slowest nights of the week, and at the tail end of the dinner lull to boot, which was the only reason Rei was able to stand around talking. He made a show of wiping down the bar, but only because there wasn’t really anything else to do. “So where are you and Makoto going tonight?”

“Green Street Grill.”

Rei raised an eyebrow, “Pulling out all the stops, huh?”

“His idea, actually,” Haru said, a small smile tugging at his lips, “Apparently they have good fish.”

“They have good _everything_ ,” Rei said with more than a touch of envy. Maybe if he pulled some good tips this week, he could take Nagisa the next time they both had a night off. Despite Nagisa’s apparent allergy to recipes and food aesthetics, he was nothing if not a gourmand, and if he remembered right, the little gastropub had a pretty extensive dessert menu.

“You’re doing it again.”

“Hm?”

“Making your stupid thinking-about-Nagisa face.”

“I don’t make a _face_.”

“You really do,” Haru countered. “It’s sort of embarrassing.”

“Just keep talking,” Rei said. “All this is coming right back at you once you and Makoto start getting serious.”

“We’ll see.”

“But you _do_ think things are going to get serious,” Rei said, leaning in conspiratorially.

“It’s a little soon to say,” Haru said, but he was betrayed by the way his eyes wandered over to where Makoto was standing next to the front entrance. “But what I meant was, we’ll see how well you can manage to shit talk me once you have some material.”

“Just keeeeep talking,” Rei said again, slinging his towel over his shoulder and heading over to help the first non-Haru customer he’d seen in almost twenty minutes. The woman didn’t linger, taking her drink and heading out to find a seat. People were starting to trickle in as the evening deepened, but most of them were staking out a place near the stage. It would be another hour or so before the bar filled up. He double checked his stock of pre-sliced fruits like it might have somehow been used up since the last time he looked, then started absently organizing the glasses and bottles behind the counter, tidying his way back in Haru’s direction.

When he pulled the towel off his shoulder and started wiping down the counter yet again, Haru smirked, “I think it’s clean.”

Rei whipped Haru’s arm with the towel, “So stop making goo-goo eyes at Makoto and entertain me. I’m bored out of my mind.”

“What, with all this booty on display?” Haru asked, nodding at a passing waiter.

“I’m not here to stare at the dancers,” Rei snapped. But then a familiar song started playing on the loudspeakers, and Rei’s gaze drifted over to the stage just as Nagisa sauntered out, holding two oversized white feathered fans, one in front of him and the other behind, both covering him from neck to knee. Rei held up a hand, “Okay, yes, very ironic, ha ha, shut up and make fun of me later. This is one of his best routines.”

“You really are a creep,” Haru said, but quietly and without any real malice, and they both settled in, leaning against the counter to watch the show.

The way they were held, the twin fans covered Nagisa almost completely, but he fanned them as he moved toward center stage, punctuating the sway of his hips and showing the barest glimpses of his milky pale skin beneath. Once he was in the spotlight facing the crowd, Nagisa held both fans in front of him, slowly fanning one out to the side at a time and moving sinuously behind the other, revealing just the barest hint of his body as he alternated between them. And then he turned, putting his back to the audience but staying hidden behind the fans, repeating the same slow, teasing motion, giving only an impression of what was hidden behind the feathers.

Then he twirled, hidden in the imperfect cocoon of the fans, showing a thin strip of skin on either side, the strap of his sequined white g-string, and the slightest, most teasing hint of his chest and legs. And then the tempo of the song started to pick up, and he started moving the fans faster and in more intricate patterns, weaving them around his head and behind his back. He adjusted his grip on the fans, holding them sideways so they only covered him from breastbone to thigh, and started letting through longer glimpses as he switched from one fan to the other. His sultry gaze raked out over the audience, making each movement an invitation.

And then he turned again, but this time he held the fans at his hips so they spread out behind him like a wide, feathery train, baring his back as he swayed his hips to the beat of the music, tossing a cheeky wink back over his shoulder. Then he did a little kick, flipping the fans up so they spread out like a peacock tail behind him, revealing his bare butt just long enough to make the crowd scream before he twirled again, weaving the fans through the air and crossing his arms over his chest. He crouched low, holding the fans so they spread out behind him like angel wings, his pose leaving him tantalizingly concealed, only one lean, muscled leg on display.

He flapped the wings in time to the music, slowly standing up bit by bit with the beat, revealing more skin inch by inch, the sequins on his underwear and the glitter on his skin catching the light and making him sparkle. Just before he was fully upright, he twirled again, putting his back to the audience and standing straight, arms still crossed over his chest holding the fans in place. He fluttered the wings behind him, just barely showing off the long line of his back and the bare curve of his ass through the feathers. As the beat of the music slowed, he started flapping the wings again, the teasing glimpses at his backside turning to longer looks. He swayed his hips from side to side, parting the fans in time with his movements, every swing and curve of his body revealing a little skin to a different part of the audience, ensuring no one was denied a glance. And then he leaned into it, pushing his hips back and showing off the full, muscular curve of his ass, slow and lingering, before the music kicked back up again.

Then he was dancing, the fans no longer props but part of the costume, feathery extensions of his arms that beat the air as he spun and twisted and twirled them, the feathers highlighting rather than concealing the lean, muscular lines of his body, punctuating the snap of his hips and accentuating the graceful movements of his arms.

Then he dropped to his knees on the stage, his hips lifting up and thrusting in time with the beat of the music, the fans turning into wings that sliced rhythmically at the air so each pump of his hips made it look like he was about to lift off the ground. And then he leaned backwards, back arching at an impossible angle, so far that the longest strands of his hair brushed the ground, hips held up as he twirled the fans in an intricate pattern above him. And then he rose to his feet, easy and graceful, and started swinging the fans around over his head like he was twirling a lasso, letting the momentum spin him around with it and carry him back to the center of the stage. The song hit its crescendo, and Nagisa held the fans up high, putting his back to the audience and doing a full body shimmy that made the feathers tremble, the glitter on his skin shine, and his ass shake so perfectly it left the crowd screaming as the music ended and the lights cut out.

Rei put two fingers between his lips and let out a sharp whistle as Nagisa took his bow and strutted off the stage, but he was surprised to realize that Haru was cheering and applauding, too. When the house lights came back on, Haru muttered, “Holy shit.”

“I told you,” Rei said.

“No, but like,” Haru said fidgeting on his barstool and tugging at the front of his pants, “Holy _shit_.”

“I _told_ you,” Rei repeated, crossing his arms over his chest and leaning against the back of the bar, “He’s the real deal. He choreographed the routine himself.”

Haru let out a low whistle, then turned and looked thoughtfully out at the still fairly slim crowd, “Why the hell would the boss lady have him go on _now_? He’s obviously the best dancer here, and that was a show stopper.”

Rei shrugged, “The burlesque inspired stuff is kind of hit and miss, depending on the crowd. Since most of our, uh, clientele is straight women, a lot of the acts are more on the macho side.”

“Tragic.”

“Tell me about it. A couple of the other guys do damn good stripteases, too, but Gou-san breaks it up with a lot of cowboy hats and denim.”

“I do wish I could have seen Makoto in that fireman getup,” Haru said, sounding almost wistful.

“Supposedly they still have the outfit,” Rei mused. “I bet you could-”

“Rei-chan, Haru-chan!” Nagisa suddenly appeared next to them, dressed in sweatpants and a hoodie he hadn’t quite bothered to zip up all the way, his bare chest still shining with glitter. He slid onto the barstool next to Haru and slung an arm around his shoulders, “What’d you think of the show?”

“You were great,” Haru said, and only rolled his eyes a little when Nagisa squeed in delight and wrapped him up in a tight hug. “I might actually have to call and ask about tickets to your ballet thing.”

“Haru-chaaaan!” Nagisa squealed, hugging him tighter.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Haru said, patting his arm and then trying to shrug him off.

Nagisa let him go after one last squeeze, then leaned forward on the bartop, turning his attention to Rei, “I should probably get going before one of the five people here notices me, but I just found out that my morning rehearsal got cancelled cuz Chiga-chan got food poisoning. Do you wanna stay the night and do brunch in the morning?”

“Sounds like fun,” Rei said, and the smile that lit up Nagisa’s face made him smile, too.

“Sorry for springing it on you at the last minute,” Nagisa said, though he didn’t look remotely apologetic.

“Don’t worry about it.” The truth was, he’d sort of been hoping for an excuse to stay over. He hadn’t said the words out loud yet because it was just too embarrassing, but it hadn’t taken long at all for Rei to realize he slept better with Nagisa by his side. He was pretty sure Nagisa did, too, because these last minute sleepovers had become a common enough occurrence to warrant him keeping an overnight bag in his car.

“I need to get back, but I’ll see you soon,” Nagisa said, leaning farther across the bar to press a kiss to Rei’s lips.

Rei hummed contentedly, drawing Nagisa close and giving him a few more soft, slow kisses, “Gou-san said not in front of the customers.”

He could feel Nagisa smiling against his mouth, his voice a hot whisper that he felt as much as heard, “So stop kissing me.”

Only he really, really didn’t want to, especially not when Nagisa pressed a hand to his chest, slid his palm up along his shoulder and under the collar of his shirt, and brushed his thumb lightly along the tattoo on his neck. “Nagisa,” he breathed, then pressed his teeth down into Nagisa’s lower lip in a way that didn’t quite manage to be reprimanding. But if one of them didn’t put a stop to this, Nagisa was going to climb right over the counter to get to him.

As many wonderful places as that train of thought could go, it let Rei latch onto something a little more rational. “You’re getting glitter all over my bar,” he murmured against Nagisa’s lips, because he didn’t need to look to know it was true. His life had become a wonderland of fairy dust and sparkles since he and Nagisa had started dating.

Nagisa let out a little giggle, pressing one last kiss to Rei’s lips before sliding back into his seat, “I’ll be working the floor the last few hours before close.”

“Alright,” he said, “I’ll see you soon.”

Nagisa gave them both a coy little wave, then said to Haru, almost as an afterthought, “Good luck on your date tonight. Pro tip: Mako-chan _loves_ chocolate cake.”

Haru held up his beer in a little acknowledging salute, and Nagisa blew Rei a kiss before practically skipping back towards the stage door. Rei watched him go, eyes following him until he disappeared backstage and then lingering, like he could still see a ghostly afterimage of him through the door. It was Haru’s voice that brought him back down to earth. “So, I have a better understanding of your initial attraction now,” he said as Rei turned back towards him, “but that’s not all there is to this, right?”

He couldn’t quite wrap his head around what, exactly, it was that Haru was asking, but his mood had shifted and his voice had gone serious. Rei frowned, “What do you mean?”

Haru shook his head, “I mean, I know it’s not just a sex thing, but…”

“If it were just a sex thing,” Rei said dryly, grabbing a clean towel from under the counter, “we’d probably be having sex by now.” He shook his head, starting to wipe away the pearly white glitter Nagisa had dusted all over the bartop, “I’m not sure what you’re getting at, but we’re doing this right. Taking it slow.”

“Oh my god,” Haru said. “Tenuously refraining from boning each other into a coma is _not_ the same thing as taking it slow.” Rei opened his mouth to object, but Haru cut him off, “It’s been a month and you’re practically living together.”

“We aren’t living together.”

“When was the last time you both slept in your own beds for more than two nights in a row?”

Rei frowned and didn’t respond, because Haru knew as well as he did that the answer was _probably not since our second date_. But why bring it up? “You think we’re spending too much time together?” he ventured.

“You mean, every waking moment, and most of your sleeping moments, too?”

“Where’s this coming from?” He asked, realizing that this conversation was… weird. Haru had been almost aggressively supportive of their relationship from day one, and he’d spent enough time around them both to know this was more than just a fling. So why…? “Did something happen? Did Nagisa say something to you?”

Haru waved his hand, “No, no, it’s nothing like that. It’s just…” he stopped, shaking his head, “Forget it.”

“Do you not like him?”

“Nagisa? No, he’s – I mean, he’s wild, but he’s a good guy. And he makes you happy.”

“Haru,” he said, maybe a little impatiently, “Not a mind reader.”

Haru sighed, “You two get along great, but I have no idea why.”

“What do you mean?”

Haru arched an eyebrow, “Rei, he’s not your type.” Rei started to object again, and Haru corrected, “Okay, physically he was probably plucked from the depths of your darkest fantasies. But personality-wise? He’s loud, he’s messy, he’s… touchy? No sense of personal boundaries or personal _property_. He can’t sit still, he doesn’t make plans, he’s always running late. Seriously, name one of your pet peeves, and it’s probably a fundamental aspect of his personality.”

Rei crossed his arms over his chest, frowning, “You know, I’m not an idiot. It’s not like any of that is news to me.”

“That’s what I’m saying. Doesn’t he _bug_ you?”

“I-” Rei started. He hadn’t ever really thought about it that way. He shook his head, “No, he doesn’t.”

“ _How?_ ”

Rei shook his head, “I mean, yeah, okay, it irks me a little when he leaves his clothes on the floor or talks with his mouth full or whatever, but…” He hesitated, leaning against the bar and taking a moment to consider it. “He’s like you were, back when we met. Like a rock in my shoe that reminds me not to be such a tightass. He helps me remember there are more important things than wearing matching socks or not finding glitter in your coffee in the morning.”

“Have you told him that?”

“What? That by rights he should drive me crazy, but instead I’m crazy _about_ him?” He shook his head, “Mostly I’ve been picking my battles. You know he didn’t even own a laundry hamper?”

“You might have mentioned,” Haru said dryly, “once or twice.”

Rei shook his head, “If he were anyone else, I’d probably want to kill him. But he’s… more perceptive than you’d think. He…” Rei trailed off, trying to find the right words to _explain_. Eventually, he said, “The night we met for the first time, I was so nervous I thought I was going to throw up all over myself. And we went to this diner, and he ordered me a piece of pie. And what was I going to say? ‘I hate almost anything with sugar in it, and I’m acutely nauseous right now because wow you’re even more attractive up close, and also talking to me?’ But he knew, he _knew_ how nervous I was, and he had every reason to believe I was some perverted mouth-breathing creep, but he said all the right things to get me to relax, and by the time the waitress brought the pie out, I was feeling like a human, and the pie he picked for me was fucking delicious.” He shook his head, “I’ve never been so comfortable around anyone, ever, and I’ve never met anyone who was so easy to talk to.”

“Is he, though? Easy to talk to?”

“What?”

“I mean, he’s a chatterbox, but when you start talking, he gets really quiet.”

“He listens to me,” Rei said. “Like, really listens.”

Haru shook his head, “But he gets this really intent look on his face. Like he’s just totally enraptured with what you’re saying.”

Rei wrinkled his nose, “Is that bad?”

“I’m sure it’s great for your ego,” Haru said, “but there’s a difference between talking at someone and having a conversation with them, and I don’t think I’ve seen Nagisa do the latter.” Haru frowned, “I think that might be what’s bothering me. You’re smart, and you need someone that can keep up with you, and I don’t know if he can.”

“You think he’s stupid.”

“I don’t,” Haru said quickly. “He’s obviously very intelligent, and I think he follows most of what you say, but he’s not… I don’t know, learned. You’re overeducated, and he’s just a kid.”

“He’s not a kid,” Rei snapped.

Haru raised an eyebrow, “You call Nitori a kid, and they went to school together.” Rei frowned. He’d been abstractly aware of that fact, but hadn’t really considered it from that angle. They couldn’t be more than a few years apart, but now that he thought about it, he didn’t know how old Nitori was, either. Haru saw right through his expression, “Do you even know how old he is?”

“I haven’t asked,” he said.

“He’s still in school,” Haru pointed out.

“He’s at least 21,” Rei countered. “We’ve gone out drinking together.”

“Yeah, to the bar where _Sera_ works. You took me there, remember? There’s no way that ginger kid is a day over 18, and he’s like the bar mascot.”

“What, Momo? He’s-” _probably underage_ , his brain supplied. “There’s no way Nagisa is younger than 21,” he said instead.

“Okay, so say he’s 21. Where were you when you were 21?”

“At the tail end of an existential crisis, still avoiding my family, and sleeping my way through the drama department?” Rei shook his head, “It doesn’t matter where I was. Even if he were only 18, which he _isn’t_ , Nagisa has his shit together in a way I still don’t. He knows himself, and he knows what he wants, and he doesn’t let anything get in the way of him getting it. It’s one of the things I love about him.”

“Okay,” Haru said in a way that was almost placating until he added, “but what else haven’t you thought to ask about him?”

“Oh my god, what does that even _mean_?”

“I just-” Haru let out a frustrated huff, “I’ve never seen you like this, not with anyone, and it’s freaking me out a little. I think he’s good for you, maybe perfect. But I want to make sure that whatever this thing is that you’re building, you’re doing it on a solid foundation, and not just some inflated, idealized image of each other, because you two are getting really serious really fast and I don’t…” He trailed off, draining the last of his beer and running his hand back through his hair, making a frustrated sound. “If it doesn’t work, it’s going to fuck you up, and I don’t want that to happen, so I want to make sure you make it work. Okay?”

“Okay,” Rei said, too stunned to form a more coherent response.

“So we’re clear, I don’t have a problem with Nagisa. Just… don’t be blinded by him. He burns bright, but he’s just a person.”

“He makes it easy to forget that,” Rei admitted. After a moment, he frowned, “Do you think he’s unhappy?”

Haru snorted, “You’re kidding, right? Mr. Sunshine?”

“You know what I mean.”

“I think you make him feel special,” Haru said.

“He _is_ special.”

“Exactly.”

“What do you mean, _exactly_?”

“The kid is an attention whore,” Haru said.

“Please stop calling him a kid.”

“Fine, but he _is_ an attention whore. Makoto said something the other day, about how he elbows his way into peoples’ lives. He’s always in the spotlight, always the life of the party. But I think you meet whatever need it is that makes him do that.” He paused thoughtfully, then added, “He respects you, I think. You’re not the kind of person who lavishes affection or attention on everyone, like Makoto does. I think he knows that it means something that you want to be with him, and I think he feels it more when you acknowledge him, maybe because you really mean it.”

“Do you think…” Rei started, then stopped, chewing his lip, not quite able to make himself say ‘ _it’ll last?_ ’ because the question opened the possibility that the answer would be no. It wasn’t the first time that he’d pondered what Nagisa saw in him – not for the reasons Haru had mentioned, but because Nagisa had seemed so far out of his reach from the moment he’d first laid eyes on him. Eventually, he said, “I think he’s about to start getting a lot of attention from people a lot more important than me.”

“I think you’re right,” Haru said. “He’s talented, way more than I expected. But acclaim and approval and validation aren’t the same thing, and they aren’t simple. He loves the spotlight, but he doesn’t strike me as the type to need his ego stroked. I think what he wants is-”

“Acceptance,” Rei said. “Acknowledgement, maybe.” He laced his hands together, rubbing his fingers absently with his thumbs, “His parents disowning him was sort of the last straw, but I think the feeling was there for a lot longer than that. I think he feels… inadequate in a way that undermines his accomplishments.”

“That doesn’t sound familiar at all.”

Rei huffed out a little laugh, “Yeah. Maybe why we fit so well.” After a moment, he added quietly, “I’ve never felt like this about anyone before.”

“I know,” Haru said. “I wouldn’t be saying any of this otherwise.”

“I don’t want to fuck it up.”

“So talk to him. Like I said, I don’t think what you’re doing is wrong, I think you both just need to keep your eyes open. Communicate. Maybe _actually_ take it slow.”

“…so you’re saying it’s too soon to buy a ring?”

Haru snorted, “Jesus. You’re kidding, right?”

“Mostly.”

“I’m not nearly drunk enough for this conversation,” Haru declared. “But I do know a _great_ place for your bachelor party.”

“Doesn’t that go against protocol? Having my future husband give me my send off lapdance?”

“Okay, no,” Haru said, “you’re not allowed to call him that, even as a joke.”

“What about ‘my fiancé’?” Haru groaned; Rei grinned, “Or maybe ‘my- oh hey Makoto!”

“Sorry I kept you waiting,” Makoto said, a little breathless as he stepped up to the bar.

“No problem. I’ve been keeping Rei entertained,” Haru said. Rei snorted, but Haru ignored him, “Did something happen?”

Makoto waved off the question, flashing Haru a tired smile, “Oh, nothing big. Someone accidentally spilled a beer on me earlier, so it took me a while to get cleaned up enough that I wouldn’t smell like a distillery. Are you ready to get going?”

Haru nodded, “Can you give me the address again?”

“Actually,” Makoto said, “since the restaurant is basically in the opposite direction of both our apartments, I was thinking we could carpool there and back. I don’t mind driving, and it would save on gas.”

“Oh,” Haru said. “Yeah, that’d be great. Thank you.”

Rei couldn’t help but raise his eyebrows, but he didn’t comment. Instead, he said, “I’ll see you tomorrow night after work?”

“You tell me,” Haru said, pulling some cash out of his wallet and tossing it on the bar.

Rei laughed, “Yeah, yeah.” He scooped the money up, and before Haru could turn away, he said more seriously, “Thanks for the tip.”

“You’re always welcome to my two cents,” Haru said, giving him a small nod before turning to follow Makoto toward the back door.

But there was still something nagging Rei, and before he realized it, he was calling out, “Haruka-s-” He stopped, winced, resisted the urge to bite off his own tongue and swallow it. Haru turned and arched an eyebrow, but blessedly kept his usual smirk and snide remark to himself. Rei sighed and asked, “Why bring this up now?”

Haru paused for a moment, tilting his head to one side, and Rei couldn’t quite read his expression. Eventually he said, “Think about it. How long have you two been dating?”

“How long we’ve been…” he started, turning the question over in his head. Then it hit him, hard.

It must have showed on his face, because Haru asked, “You okay?”

“Yeah,” Rei said, though he wasn’t totally sure it was true. He felt a little winded, the conversation they’d just had rapidly reshuffling itself in his mind. When Haru shot him a skeptical look, he said again, “Yeah, no, I’m…” he shook his head, “It didn’t even occur to me.”

“Sorry,” Haru said, and Rei knew he meant it. “I guess I thought it would be nagging you. Call me if you need to talk, okay?”

“Yeah,” he said, then waved him off with a nod of his head, “Go on, get out of here, you’re keeping your boyfriend waiting.”

Haru patted him on the shoulder before turning and trailing after a bewildered-looking Makoto, and Rei watched until they both disappeared through the stage door. As soon as they were gone, he braced his hands on the edge of the bar and leaned forward, letting out a shaky sigh. Thirty-four days. He stayed that way for a full minute, feeling a little dizzy. Eventually he shook his head, took a steadying breath, and pushed himself upright. It didn’t have to mean anything.

* * *

Rei was grateful that things picked up a little after Haru left, but it never got busy enough to keep him from his thoughts. His eyes followed Nagisa as he made his rounds between the tables and booths, but not with his usual abstract admiration – more like he was afraid if he stopped looking, Nagisa would evaporate into thin air. By the end of his shift, Rei had chewed down the nail on his thumb so far that it bled (a vile habit he swore he’d broken years ago), and he found himself reluctant to follow Nagisa into the locker room. He took his time closing out the till, and when Sousuke showed up to collect the money, he volunteered to take it to Gou himself, then dithered around outside her office, lost in thought.

When he finally mustered the gumption to head into the back, Nagisa was already dressed, wrapped up in his cheery yellow coat, scuffing his bright red galoshes against the floor. He looked up from his phone and smiled when Rei rounded the corner, “Hey Rei-chan.”

Rei’s smile felt odd on his face. A not insignificant portion of him wanted to pick Nagisa up and hold him in his arms, but he resisted the urge. “Hey,” he said, untying his apron and draping it over his arm before unlocking his locker. “Sorry to keep you waiting.”

“It’s fine,” Nagisa said, scootching out of the way as Rei retrieved his coat and started pulling it on. “Did you eat something during your break?”

Rei stilled, considering the question for a moment before sighing and leaning his head against the lockers, “I forgot to take one.”

“Rei-chan,” Nagisa said, gently reprimanding, “you work too hard.” Rei grunted, because he couldn’t really argue. As Rei zipped up his coat, Nagisa leaned in and smoothed his palms up along his back, soothing, “I think I have some leftover curry in the fridge I can heat up for you when we get home.”

Home. Something in his chest clenched and his shoulders tightened, because Haru was right. It had only been a month, but Nagisa’s studio already felt like home. Because _Nagisa_ felt like home. “That would be great,” he said, but even to him his voice sounded stiff and formal.

“Everything okay?” Nagisa asked, snaking his arms around Rei’s waist and leaning his head against Rei’s back.

Rei relaxed by inches beneath Nagisa’s touch, letting out a little sigh as he knotted his scarf. “Long night,” he admitted, reaching down to smooth his hands along Nagisa’s forearms, “Let’s get going?”

“‘Kay!” Nagisa said cheerfully, drawing back and leading the way out, but he stopped just outside the door, and as soon as Rei followed him into the parking lot, Nagisa reached down and laced their fingers together, giving his hand a squeeze. “I wonder how Haru-chan and Mako-chan are doing,” Nagisa mused as they started walking towards Rei’s car.

“They’ve probably gone home already,” Rei said, glancing absently at his watch.

“Yeah, but _whose_ home?” Nagisa said, waggling his eyebrows.

Rei puffed out a little laugh despite himself, “I don’t think they’re there yet.”

“I dunno,” Nagisa said. “Mako-chan was primping pretty hard after his shift ended.”

Rei hummed thoughtfully, realizing he didn’t have it in him to gossip. He unlocked his car and climbed into the driver’s seat, habitually popping his trunk so Nagisa could stow his gym bag. The thought of Makoto and Haru orbiting each other made him think back on his own past relationships and how different they were from what he had with Nagisa. He wondered if there was a right way to do things, a proper sequence of events to bring two people together in such a way that they’d connect and hold, two pieces of a puzzle, two halves of a lock. He wondered if time or distance mattered, remembering the way Rin and Sousuke had hovered so close for so long without succumbing to each other’s gravity, or if it was the pieces themselves that mattered, if some people fit and others didn’t, like cosmic predestination – invisible at a glance, discernible only by fumbling in the dark.

The slam of the passenger’s side door closing jolted him out of his thoughts and he started the car, pulling slowly out of the lot as Nagisa buckled his seatbelt. It was late, the streets already empty, but he liked this time of night – the way the lampposts cast pools of light on the pavement, the steady murmur of his car and the low drone of the radio the only sounds. He liked the way the road looked stretching out a headlight length before him, rich with possibility, though it had been a long time since he’d been tempted to drive out into the darkness, to let the wheels turn until the sky started to lighten with the impending dawn, until it didn’t matter that he didn’t know where he was because his breath turned to frost in the morning air and it was just him and the car and the sunrise.

He’d always liked being alone. Always relished having his own space, his privacy, the silence. He had a habit of clinging to solitude, sometimes, behind a book or a closed door or a hundred miles driven impulsively in the dark, walls of quiet and distance, physical and otherwise. There was an order to his aloneness, a comfort. Haru had been the first one to disrupt it, all those years ago, but Haru had his own walls, his own quietness, and theirs was an unobtrusive companionship. Nagisa was not quiet. Nagisa did not abide by barriers, literal or implied, and was hardly ever silent.

Except, Rei realized, right now.

His attention shifted subtly to the seat beside him where Nagisa was sitting, one leg tucked underneath him, tugging absently at the charm on his necklace so that it clicked almost imperceptibly against the links in the chain, the passing streetlights momentarily turning his hair golden. Nagisa had come into his life like a thunderstorm, a deluge of sound and touch, closeness and intimacy, and he hadn’t questioned it, had turned his face to the sky and held out his arms and welcomed the downpour like parched earth, but he suddenly feared the flood.

No, that wasn’t right. He wasn’t afraid of the abundance, wasn’t afraid of what Nagisa would give him. He was afraid of what would happen when he saturated, when he wanted to go inside and listen to the rain fall on the roof instead of his head, when the road called and he climbed in his car and tried to drive out the storm.

“Rei,” Nagisa said, his voice so small and soft it almost blended in with the hushed sound of the road, “What’s wrong?”

Rei sucked in a breath, surprised, and glanced over at Nagisa, “What?”

“You’re grinding your teeth,” he said, reaching up to touch the tight muscle in Rei’s jaw.

Rei turned back to face the road, fighting down the instinct to say _it’s nothing_ , because it was a lie, and an obvious one, and whatever else he was, he wasn’t a liar. Everything Haru had said, all the thoughts he’d unearthed, swirled around in Rei’s head, but he was at a loss to put them to words when all he wanted was to press his face to Nagisa’s chest and be held, to pour all the thoughts right back out and leave them on the side of the road. Instead, he blurted, “How old are you?” and closed his eyes just long enough to consider driving the car into a lamppost to silence his own stupid, traitorous mouth.

He took a breath and cast a glance in Nagisa’s direction just in time to see his expression shift from surprised confusion to… amusement? “I’m older than I look, you know.”

“I…” Rei shook his head, resolutely facing the road, “Forget it.”

“Is that really what’s bothering you?” Nagisa asked, his tone suddenly soft and serious.

“No,” he said, because it wasn’t.

“You know I’m younger than you,” Nagisa ventured.

“I know.” He shook his head, “It’s just… Haru asked me tonight, and I realized I didn’t know.”

“I just turned 22 in August,” Nagisa said, and Rei could feel him gauging his reaction.

It was about what he’d thought, but his stomach still twisted at the unspoken second half of the question. “I’m going to be 26 in December,” he said, hands tightening on the steering wheel.

“I know,” Nagisa said.

Rei was so surprised he whipped around to look at him, “You what?”

“I asked Haru about your birthday so I wouldn’t miss it, and I asked _you_ about your Chinese zodiac, so unless you were 37 or 13…”

He gaped for a long moment before Nagisa nodded at the road, forcing his attention back to the fact that he was _driving_. He shook his head, letting out a helpless little laugh, “You… It doesn’t bother you?”

“Does it bother _you_?”

“No,” he said, and he didn’t even need to think about it. Three years and change was hardly scandalous, and Rei had spent most of those years… He frowned, suddenly not wanting to continue down that line of thought.

“What else did you and Haru talk about?” Nagisa asked, and for the briefest moment it felt like Nagisa was reading his thoughts.

“What?” He said dumbly.

“I dunno,” Nagisa said. “It seemed like you were upset after he left, is all.”

Rei blinked. How in the world did he know that? They hadn’t had the chance to exchange more than a few words while they were working, and if Nagisa had been stealing glances at him, Rei was pretty sure he would have known, because he’d been boring holes in the back of Nagisa’s head the entire time he was waiting tables. Was he really so obviously distressed? That thought shouldn’t have surprised him, but it was unsettling; he’d been doing his best to keep his composure all night, and apparently it hadn’t worked at all.

“Did something happen?” Nagisa prompted.

“Do I talk too much?” he blurted out, like his mouth had a mind of its own and was choosing his thoughts at random and spitting them out.

Nagisa laughed dryly, running a hand back through his hair, “Not right now you don’t.”

“Does that mean I usually do?” Rei asked, hating the edge of alarm that snuck into his voice.

“No,” Nagisa said. “That was a joke. You don’t talk too much, and right now I wish you would talk more, because I’m having trouble putting the pieces together.”

“Do I bore you?” he asked, because he’d touched the scab, and he couldn’t help but pick at it.

Nagisa turned in his seat, shifting to look at him full on, “Rei, I could listen to you talk all day. You have a big, beautiful brain, and I want to know every single random fact and anecdote you have stored in it.” He reached up, gently tucking a strand of Rei’s hair behind his ear, his voice softening, “What’s this about?”

“Haru…” Rei gave a small shake of his head, letting out a choked little laugh that was distressingly close to a sob, “I think he was trying to give me a pep talk.”

“I don’t think Haru-chan is very good at pep talks,” Nagisa said quietly, continuing to gently stroke Rei’s hair.

Rei shook his head, laughing again, a little more steadily, “No, he’s not.”

He was infinitely, infinitely grateful to see Nagisa’s apartment building at the end of the block, because he realized suddenly that he wasn’t in any shape to be driving. He pulled into the lot and parked the car, but didn’t turn it off. He smoothed his hands over the steering wheel, taking a slow breath, “At first, I thought he was trying to say you weren’t good enough for me. That, I don’t know, you’d…” he shook his head, letting out a shuddering breath, “get bored, or fed up with me? I guess? And I was pissed, because you don’t… because it’s not like that. But then I realized that wasn’t what he was saying at all.”

“What was he saying?” Nagisa asked, quiet and unobtrusive, his fingertips drawing small circles on the nape of Rei’s neck.

“He was saying he’s worried I’m going to get tired of you.” He made a small sound, shaking his head minutely, because that wasn’t quite right, “He was saying,” he corrected, “that he’s worried I’m going to push you away.”

“Tell me why.”

He glanced down at the dashboard, then closed his eyes, “Because as of 23 minutes ago, this is the longest relationship I’ve ever been in.”

Nagisa was quiet for a long moment, but Rei couldn’t bring himself to look at him. Eventually, he said, “Rei,” and when he didn’t immediately turn, Nagisa reached up and hooked a finger under his chin, forcing Rei to face him.

The soft, affectionate look in Nagisa’s eyes made something crumble inside of him. Rei put his hand to his mouth, letting out a choked little sob, “I don’t want to fuck this up.”

“I know,” Nagisa said, gently pulling his hand away from his face and lacing their fingers together.

“I don’t know what I’m doing,” he said, unable to keep the panic out of his voice, his breath coming out in gasps, “I don’t- I’m not- I’ve never-”

“Shh,” Nagisa hushed him, leaning in and pressing a gentle kiss to his lips, silencing him.

He reached up and curled his hand in Nagisa’s hair, pulling him close and kissing him again, hard, like he wanted to crawl inside him and never come back out. He broke away with a shaky sob, pressing their foreheads together and letting himself cry. After a moment, Nagisa shifted, and for an instant Rei’s blood ran cold, convinced down to his bones that if he let Nagisa draw away in this moment, that the distance would be irreparable. “Don’t go,” he said, wrapping his arms around Nagisa’s waist like he was the last anchor in the depths, “Please don’t go.”

“I’m not going anywhere,” Nagisa said, and a moment later he proved it, climbing over the center console and straddling Rei’s lap. He cupped Rei’s face gently in his hands, brushing his tears away with his thumbs and looking down into his eyes, so close their noses touched. “I’m not going anywhere,” he repeated solemnly, “because I love you.”

Rei gasped softly, blinking as fresh tears spilled out the corners of his eyes, and he searched Nagisa’s face for some sign of hesitation or deception, but all he could see was the truth of it. “I love you too,” he breathed, his voice tight with the weight of it.

“Then it’s okay,” Nagisa said, kissing away the tears on Rei’s cheeks, “right?”

“Say it again,” Rei said, and Nagisa’s smile was like the sun.

“I love you, Rei.”

He slid one arm around Nagisa’s waist, reaching up and cupping the back of his neck with his other hand and drawing him down into a kiss. He could taste the salt of his tears on Nagisa’s lips, but it didn’t matter, because hearing those three words said out loud for the first time made the nebulous, beautiful thing between them somehow more solid, something he could cling to. Something that, for the moment at least, made everything else seem small and insignificant. Nagisa shifted in his lap, deepening the kiss, but when Rei rose up to meet him, the car horn blared abruptly and Nagisa jerked, letting out a startled yelp. He looked back over his shoulder at the steering wheel, then put his hand to his mouth and let out a surprised little giggle, “Oh, _shit_.”

Rei found himself unable to resist the mischievous twinkle in Nagisa’s eyes. He put his hands on Nagisa’s hips and gave him a little push, making his butt honk the horn again.

Nagisa gasped, shocked and scandalized, “Rei!”

Rei did it again, and Nagisa burst into laughter, bright and golden, “Oh my god, you’re going to get me kicked out of my apartment!”

“Then we should probably get upstairs before anyone comes to investigate,” he said, reaching past Nagisa to pull the key out of the ignition.

For a moment, Nagisa just marveled at him, then he laughed, pushing the door open and climbing out of the car. Rei unbuckled his seatbelt, and as soon as he did, Nagisa took his hand, pulling him along behind him, hardly giving him time to swing the car door shut and lock it before they were racing up the stairs together like they had that night in the rain. And Nagisa slammed the door and put his back against it in the same way, but this time he beamed and jumped into Rei’s arms, wrapping his legs around his waist and kissing him again.

Rei gripped Nagisa’s butt, supporting his weight, but staggered back a few steps until the backs of his legs hit the edge of Nagisa’s bed, and he sat down gracelessly on the mattress. When Nagisa pushed Rei back on his arms and leaned back a little so he could undo the buttons on his coat, Rei ran a hand gently down Nagisa’s thigh, marveling, “I don’t deserve you.”

As soon as the words escaped his lips, though, Nagisa stilled. “Don’t ever say that,” he said, so calm and serious that Rei glanced up at his eyes, surprised. “You deserve the world, Rei. Don’t you dare say otherwise.”

Rei opened his mouth to respond, but he couldn’t find the words. For once, he didn’t even feel the need to argue, but he’d never seen Nagisa so stern, and he wasn’t sure how to satisfy this strangely earnest demand. Eventually he just said, “Okay.”

And apparently that was enough, because Nagisa nodded, shrugging out of his jacket and tossing it vaguely in the direction of the door. “Good. Now I’m going to go make you dinner, because you get melancholy when you’re hungry.”

“Okay,” he said again, still a little stunned, and then Nagisa was gone, hopping out of his boots and leaving them strewn in the path to the kitchen, and all Rei could do was watch as Nagisa continued to defy all reason and his every expectation. After a moment he shook the feeling off and bent down to untie his own shoes. He pulled them off, then got up and set them neatly by the door. He started unbuttoning his coat, glancing absently over at Nagisa, who was digging around in the refrigerator, pulling out old takeout boxes and plastic containers. He made a triumphant noise when he found the one he was looking for, then promptly shoved it in the microwave. Rei smiled to himself, turning away and shrugging out of his coat. He started to hang it on the rack by the door, but hesitated, looking from the empty hooks down to Nagisa’s coat heaped at his feet. Then, like he wasn’t quite sure he was doing it right, he dropped his coat onto the floor on top of Nagisa’s.

“I hope leftover rice is okay,” Nagisa said, head stuck in the fridge once more, “Or I could heat up some… cauliflower, maybe?”

“Leftover is fine,” he said, tearing his eyes away from the pile of coats on the floor. “Is there anything I can do to help?”

“Just come sit your butt down,” Nagisa said, kicking the refrigerator shut. “It’ll be ready in a minute.”

Rei slid onto one of the bar stools that butted up against the kitchen counter, pushing a pile of unopened mail to one side to clear the space in front of him. He folded his arms on the counter, resting his chin on his hands and watching Nagisa scoop rice out of a Chinese takeout container and onto a plate. Nagisa’s movements were smooth and unselfconscious, but then, he’d never minded being looked at. Nagisa traded one plate for another in the microwave, then grabbed a glass from the drain rack next to his sink and started digging around in the refrigerator. A moment later, he was serving Rei a plate of fragrant, steaming hot curry and a glass of chilled barley tea, and again Rei was struck with the feeling that Nagisa was too good for him, too perfect, too kind and patient and wonderful. But instead of letting himself feel unworthy, he did his best to feel lucky – grateful. “Thank you,” he said as Nagisa handed him a spoon, and the words had more weight to them than the utensil deserved.

Nagisa’s lips quirked into a small smile, “Any time, baby.”

The smell of food made Rei realize how famished he was, and though he always prickled a little when Nagisa accused him of hunger-induced moodiness, as he started to eat, he had to admit that this time his assessment might not have been entirely wrong. Rei usually thought of it the other way around – that he would forget to eat when he was lost in thought or unhappy, but skipping dinner tonight certainly hadn’t done him any favors. Nagisa left Rei to himself for a while, tidying up the kitchen and making himself a snack while Rei ate. He was almost done by the time Nagisa leaned against the counter across from him, taking a bite out of a big strawberry.

“It’s a little late in the season for strawberries, isn’t it?” Rei asked, scooping up one last bite of curry.

“Mm, they aren’t very good,” Nagisa said, setting the stem down on his plate. He picked up another berry, which he’d dipped in something and coated in what looked like brown sugar, “Want one?”

“What a salesman,” he said, but leaned forward, parting his lips and letting Nagisa feed him. The berry itself was tart and a little hard, but the sweet, grainy sugar and whatever else he’d dipped it in made up for it, “Mm, what is this?”

“It’s just sour cream and brown sugar,” Nagisa said, cupping his hand under Rei’s chin to catch any stray sugar as he ate the last of the berry.

“I’ve never seen that before,” he said. “It’s good.”

“My gramma used to serve them like this,” Nagisa said, picking another one up off the plate and looking at it thoughtfully. “Faster than shortcake, anyway.” Rei made a soft, affirmative hum, and Nagisa asked, “Are you feeling any better?”

“A little,” Rei said, glancing down at his empty plate. “I’m sorry for freaking out on you.”

“Do you want to talk about it?” Nagisa asked.

Rei folded his hands together, chewing his lip thoughtfully, “Not really, but we probably should.”

Nagisa reached out, smoothing his hand along Rei’s forearm and giving him a gentle squeeze, “For what it’s worth, I haven’t really been in a serious, long-term relationship, either.”

Rei lifted his eyes to look at Nagisa, then gave a small shake of his head, “Okay, but there’s a difference between not settling down and being…” What, exactly? It wasn’t that he was afraid of commitment, per se, and he knew there was a difference between the flings he’d had in college and the short-lived relationships he’d had in the years since. In his darkest moments, he might have said he was incapable of being in a relationship, of being in love, or – if he was feeling particularly dramatic – of being loved, but he knew that wasn’t true, not really. “I like being alone,” he said, but that wasn’t really right, either, and corrected, “I sometimes don’t know how to let people be close to me, and wind up pushing them away.”

“I understand that,” Nagisa said.

“You do?” Rei asked, genuinely surprised, because it seemed like Nagisa embraced everyone and everything with open arms.

Nagisa nodded, pinching the stem of his strawberry and looking down at it, thoughtful. “Until recently, anyone I was with, it had to be a secret, so there was always something that came before the person I was dating. If I had to choose between being with someone, and my parents staying in the dark,” he shrugged. “I never met anyone that tipped the scale in their direction. Makes it hard to feel really close to someone, to let them all the way in, you know?” He took a bite of his strawberry, then set it back down on his plate, shaking his head, “But even now that the threat of being outed isn’t there anymore, there are still things that have to come before romance, for me.” He held his hands out in front of him, like he was indicating the boundaries of a road, “I’m on this path, and there are things I have to do to get where I’m going. I have to spend this many hours a day dancing if I want my career to take off, I have to spend this many hours a day working to live the way I want to, I have to make these people like me, and attend these events, and make these connections if I want to get on a stage.” He looked up at Rei, “To be with someone, you have to make space for them in your life, but I don’t have a lot of wiggle room, and I’m not willing to jeopardize my goals. So if someone is jealous of how I spend my time, they aren’t worth what little of it I have to spare.” Nagisa leaned against the counter, resting his chin on his hands and looking at Rei thoughtfully, “With you, I want to spend every spare minute together, but there’s nothing that can make me high tail it out of a relationship faster than someone demanding more than I can give.”

Rei nodded slowly, trying not to overanalyze what Nagisa was saying and apply his words to their own relationship, because he understood what Nagisa was getting at. “For me,” he said, “it’s more like… there are different parts of me, and I don’t share all of them with everyone. Like a garden full of hedges and gates. It’s a big deal for me to let people in, even a little, and when someone tries to look through the bars of a gate I haven’t opened, all I want to do is push them out and run away. It’s not that I don’t want to give, it’s that I don’t like it when people try to take.”

“I must drive you crazy,” Nagisa said.

Rei shook his head. “You push, but you don’t pry,” he said, then looked up, meeting Nagisa’s eyes, “I’ve never felt like I had to hide anything from you. Or could if I wanted to, really.” He wrung his hands together, glancing back down at the counter, “From the first time we talked, I felt like you could see right through me. And that should have scared me, but it didn’t. It was almost a relief, not having to… hide, I guess.”

“What did Haru say that freaked you out so bad?” Nagisa asked.

“It wasn’t what he said, so much as…” he frowned, taking a moment to honestly consider the question, because his relatively short conversation with Haru had turned into a very long night of self-loathing, his thoughts spilling over one another and twisting him up inside. But what Haru had been getting at, what had pulled the thread and started unraveling him… “I’m not very good at communicating,” he said finally. “When you only go on one or two dates with someone, that’s not a big deal, but for us… It doesn’t matter how old you are, but I think it matters that I didn’t know. That I didn’t ask.” Nagisa looked like he was about to argue, but Rei held up a hand, “It’s not an important detail, but it’s a basic one, and how can I say I know you if I don’t know _about_ you?” He frowned, shaking his head, “I have a bad habit of avoiding… anything uncomfortable, really. Awkward conversations, conflict. At best that means I have a bad habit of keeping things superficial, and at worst…” He let out a humorless laugh, “I stop talking to my family for a year, or drive until I run out of gas in the middle of nowhere to avoid returning a phone call?”

Nagisa’s lips quirked, like he was trying not to smile, “Is that something that happens often?”

“More than you would believe if I told you,” Rei said, and Nagisa sobered. “When I’m scared, or pressured, or overwhelmed, I run away. Sometimes very literally.”

“You aren’t running now,” Nagisa said.

“But I did all night,” Rei countered, and as soon as the words left his mouth, he realized how true they were. The reason he didn’t remember catching Nagisa looking at him was because he’d made himself scarce every time he started to turn around. “I was avoiding you, wasn’t I? At the club I mean. That’s how you knew.”

“Maybe a little. But you came back.”

“I was your ride home. I wouldn’t have just left you there,” he said, then, “but you weren’t mad. Even though I kept you waiting.”

Nagisa shrugged, “I figured you had your reasons.”

“I don’t think being an idiot counts as a reason.”

“You’re not an idiot,” Nagisa said gently.

“I’ve been acting like one,” he said, reaching up to cup his hand against Nagsia’s cheek. “I’m sorry.”

Nagisa turned, pressing a kiss to his palm, “Don’t be. I’m glad we had this talk.”

“Yeah,” Rei said, running his fingertip lightly down the bridge of Nagisa’s nose, “me too.”

Nagisa closed his eyes, his voice softening, “What would you have done if we hadn’t driven together tonight? If you didn’t have to take me home, I mean.”

Rei drew back a little, weighing the question. “I don’t know. I probably would have dragged my feet until I was sure you were gone, and…” He trailed off, realizing suddenly that he was describing what he would _normally_ do if he was trying to avoid a confrontation. But that was wrong. He’d spent the whole night being afraid that Nagisa was going to run from _him_ , that he would realize at last that Rei wasn’t good enough for him. He’d been so afraid of Nagisa drawing back that he’d been afraid to reach out to him, like one touch would break the spell and Nagisa would vanish like so much smoke. But all night… “No,” he said, “If you hadn’t been waiting on me, I wouldn’t have let you go.”

Nagisa’s brow furrowed minutely, “You don’t think you would have kept avoiding me?”

Rei shook his head, “All I’ve wanted all night was to be in your arms again.”

Nagisa’s expression softened, and he pushed away from the counter, “Come here.” Rei hesitated for a moment, but slid off his stool and stepped around the little kitchen island, meeting Nagisa half way. Nagisa slid his arms around Rei’s waist, pulling him into his arms. “If you ever need me,” he said, “I’m right here.”

Rei coiled his arms around Nagisa’s head, pressing his face down into his soft hair. He smelled faintly of strawberry shampoo, and beneath that, of something uniquely Nagisa – something soft and warm that always reminded him of summer. Nagisa was smaller than he was, but he was solid and strong, so even with Nagisa’s head tucked neatly under his chin, Rei felt swept up and protected, like Nagisa would wrap him up entirely if he could, their size difference be damned. It was a good feeling. A safe feeling. One he wanted to hold onto. Rei smiled, softly, and murmured against Nagisa’s scalp, “Did I ever tell you that you smell like sunshine?”

Nagisa laughed, a delighted little giggle that meant he’d been caught by surprise, “Rei-chan, I’m pretty sure I don’t smell like anything but sweat and hairspray.” Nagisa leaned back, not letting Rei go but drawing away just enough to look up at him, but when he did, he immediately started laughing harder.

“What?” Rei said, “What’s so funny?”

“Oh my god, your face is _covered_ in glitter.”

Rei reached up to touch his face, and when he pulled his hand away, his fingertips were dusted in the same pearly white glitter Nagisa had been shedding all night – the same white glitter, he realized, that Nagisa had put in his hair.

“I’m so sorry,” Nagisa said, but he was still laughing as he reached up to brush some of the glitter off Rei’s face.

Rei smiled, leaning down to press a kiss to Nagisa’s forehead, “It’s okay. I’m getting used to it.”

Nagisa bit his lower lip, but couldn’t quite contain his wide, pleased smile. “I should go rinse off,” he said, trailing his fingertips down along Rei’s arm as he drew away. “Do you want the bathroom first?”

Rei shook his head, “Go ahead.”

“I’ll be quick,” Nagisa said, pressing a kiss to Rei’s lips before dashing off to the bathroom.

Rei knew that on a cold night like this, “quick” meant at least twenty minutes, so he pulled his phone out of his pocket, thumbing idly through his contact list as he crossed the small living area. He turned the heat on the thermostat up a few degrees, then sat down on the edge of Nagisa’s bed and flopped back on his back, typing out a quick text to Haru.

Me: I know you’re probably asleep, but I wanted to let you know that Nagisa and I talked, and I think we’re going to be fine.

He chewed his lip thoughtfully, wondering if he should say anything else, but before he could compose another message, the phone started ringing in his hand. He answered the call and put his phone to his ear, “Haru?”

“Rei,” Haru said. “How are you?”

“I’m alright. Like I said, we talked. It was good.”

“I’m sorry for psyching you out,” Haru said. “I should have known better.”

“It’s okay,” Rei said. “I think you were right that he and I needed to talk, but I don’t think you need to be worried about us.” His gaze wandered to the closed bathroom door. He could hear water pounding against the wall and, faintly, Nagisa singing in the shower. “I’m not going to fuck this up. I don’t think he’s going to let me.”

“Good,” Haru said. “If anyone can keep you in line, it’s him.”

Rei scoffed, “Thanks for the vote of confidence.” He paused, then added, “He’s 22, by the way.”

“Cradle robber.”

“Look who’s talking. Makoto is still in school, too, isn’t he?”

“He’s in his sixth year,” Haru said, “Something about having trouble transferring credits from his community college.”

“So he’s, what, 24? That’s about the same gap.”

“Okay, but,” Haru said, “have you _seen_ him?” Rei snorted, and Haru added, his voice softening, “Apparently he’s studying to become a kindergarten teacher.”

“Of course he is,” Rei said, because now that Haru had said it, he couldn’t imagine Makoto doing anything else. “I take it the date went well, then?”

“It still is.”

“What?”

“Going well. We just got back.”

“Wait, where are you?”

“In our apartment,” Haru said. “Makoto locked his keys in his car at the restaurant, and by the time he realized it, it was already too late to call a locksmith. He doesn’t have a spare for his apartment, so I told him he could stay with me.”

Rei raised his eyebrows, “Is this a good thing or a bad thing?”

“It’s not bad,” Haru said, “but he’s super embarrassed.”

“If one of you needs to sleep in my bed, you can. The sheets are clean.”

“That’s actually not a bad idea. I was planning to sleep on the couch, but we haven’t actually had the conversation yet. We’re still trying to find him something to wear. Do you-”

“My pajama pants are in the middle drawer of the dresser by my bed. I don’t think any of my shirts will fit him either, though.”

“You’re a lifesaver,” Haru said, and a moment later he could hear Haru rummaging around in his drawers.

“Do we still have those huge t-shirts we wore when we painted the apartment?” Rei asked. “He’d probably fit in one of those.”

“That’s a good idea. I’m not sure where we put them, though.”

Faintly, he heard Makoto’s voice, “Haru-chan, I don’t think any of these are going to fit me.”

“Did he just call you-?”

“Here,” Haru said, ignoring the question, “try these. Rei said it was okay.”

“Oh,” Makoto said in a not-quite whisper, “is that him?”

“Yeah.”

“Thank you Rei!” Makoto said, loud and cheerful. “I’m gonna go try these on.”

“Is he…?” Rei asked.

Haru was quiet for a moment, then said quietly, “As a skunk. Total lightweight. There was a beer tasting event at the restaurant, and he made it through about two glasses before he turned pink and started giggling.”

“Wow.”

“I know,” Haru said, but it was with the same soft appreciation he usually reserved for a particularly cute cat. “I really like him,” Haru added quietly, sounding almost shy.

“I know you do,” Rei said.

“Is it that obvious?”

“You let him drive.”

“What?”

“Tonight. He offered to drive, and you let him. I don’t think I’ve ever seen you go _anywhere_ without a solid exit strategy, and you didn’t even put up a fight when he suggested leaving your car behind.”

Haru let out a grumpy little huff. “I couldn’t just say no.”

“I don’t think you wanted to. You knew you weren’t going to bail on him. Even if he got drunk and locked his keys in the car.”

Haru snorted, “At least he’s not a sloppy drunk.”

“Haru-chan,” Makoto said, his voice slightly muffled, “Do you have any mouthwash?”

“Yeah, in the medicine cabinet,” Haru called back.

Rei blanched, “Haru, don’t-!”

But it was too late. He heard a startled yelp, followed by the by-now-all-too-familiar sound of six boxes of condoms and three large bottles of lube tumbling out of the medicine cabinet and clattering onto the counter and into the sink. “Oh no,” Haru breathed. “I’ve got to go.” He heard one last, fading, “Makoto, it’s not-” before the line went dead. Rei looked down at the phone in his hand, then burst out laughing.

A moment later, he heard the bathroom door click open, and Nagisa called out to him, “What’s so funny?”

“The condom prank Haru pulled on us just came back to bite him in the ass,” he said, stretching out on the bed.

Rei tipped his head back to get an upside-down view of the bathroom door as Nagisa leaned out of it. He was damp and bare-chested, a toothbrush hanging out of his mouth, his eyes wide and sparkling, “Mako-chan went home with him?”

“He locked his keys in his car.”

“Yeah, I’ve heard that one before,” Nagisa said, waggling his eyebrows. Rei laughed again and Nagisa grinned, disappearing back into the bathroom to spit out his toothpaste. He re-emerged a moment later, one towel slung low on his hips and another draped over his head as he absently rubbed his hair dry. “Are they gonna be stranded at your place in the morning?”

“I didn’t think of that,” Rei said, “but yeah, it sounds like it.”

“Why not have them come to breakfast with us tomorrow? I have a key to Mako-chan’s apartment, so we can at least take him to get his spare car keys.”

“And Haru needs to get his car from the club.” He rolled over on his side, watching as Nagisa rummaged around in his wardrobe, “Is that okay with you?”

“It’ll be fun,” Nagisa said, flashing him a smile over his shoulder as he shimmied into a pair of pink underwear with yellow polka dots and let his towel drop to the floor. “I wouldn’t want to miss Mako-chan’s first walk of shame.”

Rei laughed, propping himself up on his elbow and holding an arm out to Nagisa, “Come here.”

“I’m all wet,” Nagisa protested, but moved toward him anyway, pushing him back onto his back on the bed and straddling him.

Rei smoothed his hands up along Nagisa’s back, smiling up at him, “I love you.”

Nagisa smiled, leaning down over him and pressing a kiss to his lips, “I love you, too.” He gave one of the buttons on Rei’s shirt a gentle tug, unbuttoning it, “I figured you’d be in your pjs already.”

“I left my overnight bag in the car.”

Nagisa pulled another button, “You wanna sleep in your skivvies, or should I try to find something for you to wear?”

“As much as I appreciate the ongoing quest to find a piece of your clothing I’ll fit into…”

“I made a new pile,” Nagisa said, pointing enthusiastically at a mound of clothes on top of his one small bookcase.

Rei laughed, “Okay, let’s see what you’ve got.”

“You should text Haru-chan about tomorrow,” Nagisa said, slipping off the bed, “before he’s too busy to see your message.”

“Right,” Rei said. He picked his phone back up off the bed and switched it on, typing out another message.

Me: Want to join us for breakfast tomorrow? Nagisa has a spare key to Makoto’s house, and we can take you back to your cars.

When he didn’t immediately get a response, he added:

Me: Text me in the morning and let me know.

He’d just turned his phone off when Nagisa dropped a pile of clothes on top of him. “One of these is going to fit, I just know it.”

“We’ll see,” he said, gathering the clothes together and sitting up.

“You gonna take a shower?”

“In the morning,” Rei said. “I’m actually pretty tired.”

“Mm, long night,” Nagisa said, yawning widely as Rei stood up and headed toward the bathroom.

Some of the clothes Nagisa had picked fit, sort of, but by the time Rei had found the right combination of tops and bottoms, brushed his teeth, and washed the glitter off his face, Nagisa had burrowed his way under the covers in bed and was apparently fast asleep. Rei switched off the lights and set his glasses on Nagisa’s side table, then quietly slipped into bed. He lay down on his side, not wanting to disturb Nagisa, but almost as soon as he’d gotten settled, the sleepy lump on the other side of the bed moved and attached itself to his back.

“Mm, I knew it,” Nagisa mumbled, curling his hands in the front of Rei’s shirt and pressing a kiss to the back of his neck. “I bet you look super hot.”

“I look ridiculous,” he said, reaching up to twine his hand around Nagisa’s.

Nagisa slung a leg over his hip, cuddling up close and nipping lightly at Rei’s ear. “Ridiculously _sexy_.”

Rei snorted, cuddling back against Nagisa’s chest, “Go to sleep.”

“Mmm…” Nagisa nuzzled his nose down into Rei’s hair, his breath warm against his scalp, “‘night Rei-chan.”

“Goodnight, Nagisa,” He said, closing his eyes and relishing the heat of Nagisa’s body, letting his slow, steady breathing relax him and lull him to sleep.

He was just starting to drift off when Nagisa shifted subtly behind him and mumbled sleepily into his ear, “Next time you want to go for a drive, you should tell me.”

“Hmm?” He wasn’t sure if Nagisa was awake or talking in his sleep, but the request was odd enough to make him stir. “What do you mean?” he prompted.

Nagisa breathed in slow and deep, and Rei could hear the languid smile on his lips as he sighed, “I _love_ car trips.”

Rei stilled for a moment, letting that thought sink in. He had never shared his little escapes with anyone; that would have defeated the purpose. So he was surprised to realize how much he liked the thought of driving through the night with Nagisa sitting by his side. He lifted Nagisa’s hand to his lips and pressed a soft kiss to it, murmuring quietly against his skin, “Then next time, I’ll take you with me.”

* * *

When Rei woke the next morning, Nagisa was spread out on the floor at the foot of the bed, doing his morning yoga in his underwear. Rei pushed himself up, leaning back against the pillows and scrubbing his face with his hands before fumbling for his glasses and putting them on. “How long have you been up?” he asked, running a hand back through his hair.

“Not long,” Nagisa said, stretching one leg out behind him and arching his back. “I made coffee.”

“Thanks,” he said, smiling and slipping out of bed. It was only when Nagisa laughed that he remembered what he was wearing. “Hey, you picked it out,” he said, tugging at the hem of the shorts.

“I love it,” Nagisa said, “you look _amazing._ ” Rei could practically _feel_ him staring.

He grunted. “I’m gonna go take a shower,” he said, heading into the bathroom. But even he couldn’t help but snicker when he caught sight of his reflection. On him, Nagisa’s bright blue sleep shirt was just shy of being a crop top, the big penguin printed on the front stretched tight across his chest. The cheery yellow cake-and-cupcake printed sleep shorts didn’t fit quite right, either, given his wider hips and leaner posterior. He looked ridiculous. But also, maybe, just a little bit cute. And he realized that despite the fact that the outfit wasn’t terribly comfortable, it felt nice to be wearing it – to be wrapped up in Nagisa, smelling faintly of strawberries and bright with color. “You were right,” he called out through the bathroom door as he peeled off the shirt, “I look super hot in your clothes.”

Nagisa’s laughter followed him into the shower.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For anyone curious, Nagisa's dance was directly inspired by the fabulous burlesque dancer Tom Harlow, particularly his routines for [Feed Me Diamonds](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W1Z6B9r6gqk), [Red](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQPMCeNy52A), and [Blanc & Grind](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QV9SPC_zcEw), which I discovered in my search for male strippers doing something a little sexier and more interesting than just being shirtless and thrusting their hips. All of these videos are NSFW (obviously lol), but I leave them here for your enjoyment, because let's be real, who doesn't need more male burlesque dancers in their life?
> 
> theshannonlewis on twitter and tumblr


	7. Variation 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which some time passes, and Nagisa has a very good day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Now with more BEAUTIFUL FANART! including this gorgeous [cover art](http://robzenobsolete.tumblr.com/post/126590107541/its-been-a-long-time-since-somethings-inspired-me), and these [lovely doodles](http://muchacha11.tumblr.com/post/126732173567/more-doodles-from-the-refreshing-and-adorable-fic) of the boys and their tattoos.
> 
> Without further ado: *clears throat, discreetly bumps the rating, and hangs up a few new tags* 
> 
> Thanks to [Brumal](http://archiveofourown.org/users/brumalbreeze/pseuds/brumalbreeze) for the 11th hour beta and pep talk. Enjoy!

Between Nagisa’s ramped up rehearsal schedule and Rei putting in extra hours to work on Rin’s tattoo, the next few weeks were busy, to say the very least. But Gou had made good on her promise; the next time the weekly schedule went up, Rei and Nagisa’s shifts were almost perfectly aligned, and they stayed that way. It meant that Nagisa was able to make good on _his_ promise of a fancy dinner for two, and that afternoons and evenings spent together started to become routine. Usually it was just the two of them – grabbing food or catching a movie or cuddling on one of their respective sofas in front of some TV show or another. Sometimes Rei cooked (elegant, beautiful dishes with an 80% chance of tasting good) and sometimes Nagisa did (homey, no recipe, usually unattractive, always delicious).

They also started gradually establishing regular joint friend dates – drinks at O’Malley’s with the guys (who claimed to be getting much better service since Rei had joined their group), evening jogs with Rin (though, more often than not, Rin and Rei would jog together to Nagisa’s dance studio and Nagisa would take them both out for ice cream and drive them home), and movie nights with Haru in the apartment he shared with Rei.

Sometimes they stayed the night together – often enough for them each to have a toothbrush in the other’s apartment – but they’d taken things slow, enjoying long, languorous makeout sessions, teasing touches, and steadily increasing levels of unclothedness, but careful not to cross a line. For Nagisa, it was both the most exquisite sort of torture and an unexpectedly welcome change from his past relationships. Being with Rei was unhurried and comfortable. Pleasantly domestic. And if he sometimes wanted, urgently, to cross that line… Well, strong anecdotal evidence suggested that Rei wouldn’t be terribly hard to convince. But neither of them had pushed.

For now, Nagisa was perfectly content to sit side by side on the floor with Rei, a big bowl of popcorn in his lap and Haru sprawled out on the sofa behind them. Their taste in movies didn’t match up perfectly; given the choice, Nagisa would pick a horror movie nine times out of ten, while Rei favored his extensive collection of old noir films. Haru wasn’t much help, either - his genre of preference appeared to be “whatever.” But they’d stumbled upon a shared love of trashy period dramas when Haru had brought home a weird French film about a cholera epidemic that was both sexier and gorier than anticipated. It had become the gold standard for movie night, and set the precedent that any movie they watched had to have at least one naked person, at least one dead person, and at least one excessively elaborate period costume.

“The priest is totally going to try to bone her,” Nagisa said around a mouthful of popcorn. Rei had long since given up shushing him when he talked during movies, let alone scolding him for talking with his mouth full. “Ten bucks,” he said, grabbing a piece of popcorn and holding it up to Haru, who ate it out of his hand.

“Twenty. He won’t do it.”

“Split the difference,” Rei said quietly. “Sex dream.” Nagisa hummed his approval of the theory, holding a piece of popcorn out for Rei. Rei leaned forward a little, touching his tongue to the popcorn and stealing it from between Nagisa’s fingers before pressing a soft kiss to the pad of Nagisa’s thumb.

An hour and the rest of the popcorn later, the movie had ended and all three of their theories had proven kinda-sorta right, so no money changed hands. Rei took the empty popcorn bowl, pushed up off the floor, and fumbled through the darkened living room in the general direction of the light switch. Haru rolled over on the sofa, silently passing Nagisa the little caddy of remotes that lived on the side table. Haru had never bothered to figure out how to work Rei’s extremely high tech home theater system, but Nagisa was starting to get the hang of it, despite the fact that his own definition of “home theater” consisted of his laptop and a pair of headphones.

Nagisa blinked as the lights came on behind him, and his eyes moved habitually to where Rei was standing, illuminated by the glow from the kitchen. Rei yawned and stretched his arms up over his head, revealing a little strip of his toned stomach in a way that Nagisa was starting to suspect was intentional. “I’m going to get some water, do you want anything?”

“I’m good,” Nagisa said, and Rei nodded and disappeared into the kitchen. Nagisa double checked that there were no blinking red lights left on the TV wall before putting the remotes back and crawling over to look at one of Rei and Haru’s many bookshelves.

Their apartment was actually a chunk carved out of a very large, very old house, which meant all the rooms were oddly shaped and bizarrely laid out. There were columns in unexpected places, their back door was actually a window, and parts of the ceiling were low and slanted. Technically, the apartment was a three bedroom, but one of the rooms was only accessible through their shared bathroom, which, given how long Haru spent in the tub, meant it was largely _in_ accessible for long stretches of time. So, rather than trying to find a desperate third roommate, they’d converted the room into an art studio, split the extra rent, and tried not to accidentally trap each other inside.

They had also covered almost every free inch of wall space in shelving and every inch of the shelves in books, music, movies, and art. It gave the oddball space a whimsical quality that Nagisa had fallen in love with the moment he’d laid eyes on it, and whenever he had a free moment he loved to peruse the shelves, never quite sure what he’d find.

Tonight, Nagisa chose a low bookshelf that ran underneath one of the big bay windows at the front of the apartment and gently smoothed his hands over the exposed spines. It was a shelf he hadn’t looked at before, filled entirely with books with purple bindings that were perfectly arranged by hue. Before he could pull one of the books off the shelf, though, Rei’s tiny orange-and-white cat hopped down off his perch by the windowsill and started rubbing up against Nagisa’s leg.

The supposedly-shy cat (who was named Tchaikovsky but never, ever called that) had taken to Nagisa immediately upon their first meeting, and would solicit him for attention whenever possible, provided he was not within three feet of Haru. “Hey there Chai Tea,” Nagisa said, gently stroking the cat’s cheeks. The cat immediately flopped over, showing his belly and purring. “I still don’t understand why he doesn’t like you, Haru-chan.”

Haru rolled over on his stomach, reaching down and making scritching noises against the side of the couch, “Sometimes he lets me pet him. Isn’t that right, Chun Li?”

“Why can’t either of you call the cats by their actual names?” Rei asked, handing Haru a water bottle before squatting down next to Nagisa and rubbing Tai Chi’s belly.

“Because you’re awful at naming animals,” Haru said.

“I think Claudette is a nice name,” Rei said, though Nagisa noted that he didn’t attempt to defend ‘Tchaikovsky’.

“She prefers Saba.”

“I can’t imagine why,” Rei said dryly.

“Where is she, anyway?” Nagisa asked.

“Sitting in her chair in the kitchen, waiting for Haru to come share his dinner with her.”

“Is that true?” Haru asked, pitching his voice toward the kitchen. He received a sad little meow in reply. “You want your saba?” Another plaintive meow.

“God, you spoil her,” Rei said, but Haru just shrugged and pulled himself up off the sofa, heading for the kitchen. As soon as Haru moved, Hi-C jolted to his feet and dashed out of the room.

“Scaredy cat,” Rei said with a sigh, watching his cat disappear before pushing up to his feet. “It’s getting late,” he added, offering Nagisa a hand up off the floor. “Do you want to stay the night?”

Nagisa took Rei’s hand and pulled himself to his feet, already starting to agree – he was tired, and he didn’t relish the thought of going back out in the cold to get home – but sighed when he realized he was going to have to, “Actually, I can’t. I didn’t think to bring my dance shoes, and rehearsal starts early tomorrow.” Ordinarily, he might have called it a draw – get to bed a little earlier tonight, get up early and swing by his apartment in the morning – but the next day’s rehearsal was an important one, and he knew the time he’d save by not going home probably wouldn’t actually be spent sleeping.

“Right, of course, I didn’t think,” Rei said, but there was clearly a hint of disappointment in his voice.

From the kitchen, Haru called, “Just give him a drawer already.”

They both whipped around to look toward the kitchen, but Haru had already moved out of the doorway, and anything else he might have had to add to the conversation was drowned out by the sound of an electric can opener. Eventually their eyes slid, more bashfully, back toward each other. They’d only been dating a little more than a month, but there was no mistaking the fact that they were both pretty serious about the relationship. If Rei had suggested it, Nagisa might not have blinked – it was a smart idea, and a practical one. But for _Haru_ to suggest something so terribly commitment-laden on his behalf… Nagisa ducked his head, “I don’t need a drawer.”

“Mmm, you probably need a whole dresser, given the size of your wardrobe,” Rei said, a small, amused smile on his lips, “but I think I can spare a drawer. Maybe make room for your dance bag in the hall closet?”

Nagisa looked up, surprised, heat creeping into his cheeks, “Are you being serious?”

“Why wouldn’t I be? It’s less trouble than worrying about you making it home in the middle of the night, and it might stop you from trying to steal my shirts all the time.”

Nagisa started to protest that he did not steal Rei’s shirts all the time, but, okay, well, maybe that was true. “Your shirts are soft,” he objected instead, “and I look hot in them.”

“That’s true,” Rei said gently, “but you can’t wear them to class.”

“It’s not too weird? The drawer thing?”

Rei laughed, “What’s weird is the fact that I have a tube of sparkly, strawberry flavored children’s toothpaste in my bathroom.”

“My toothpaste is _amazing_ ,” Nagisa said.

“ _You’re_ amazing,” Rei said, his voice turning soft, and Nagisa felt that pull, the irresistible draw of him. He pushed his hands lightly against Rei’s shoulders, guiding him to sit on the arm of the sofa so they could kiss without craning their necks. He trailed his hands lightly along Rei’s thighs, spreading his legs apart so he could stand closer, and Rei reached up to cup Nagisa’s jaw, breathing a quiet, contented little sound as their lips touched. And suddenly this drawer thing seemed like a great idea, because Nagisa wanted nothing more than to steal a pair of Rei’s silky purple pajamas and bury himself in his boyfriend’s arms and under the covers and not come out until morning.

Then Haru called, “Nagisa,” and Nagisa leaned to one side, squinting towards Haru’s silhouette in the kitchen door, just in time to see Haru toss something in his direction. It jingled when he fumbled it, and by the time he managed to close his hand around it, Haru was already heading down the hall to his bedroom, “Just in case. G’night you two.”

“Goodnight Haru-chan!”

“Night Haru!”

Then Nagisa held up his hand to see what Haru had given him, and flushed crimson when he realized it was a single key attached to a small pink toe shoe charm.

“What is it?” Rei asked.

“I think your roommate just keyed me,” Nagisa said, holding it up so Rei could see.

Rei put a hand to his mouth and let out a surprised laugh. “Well, I guess he doesn’t mind you staying the night, then.”

“Apparently not,” Nagisa said, running a thumb over the surprisingly cute keychain. “Is this okay?”

“I wish I’d thought of it myself,” Rei admitted. “I’m a little embarrassed he beat me to it.”

“Don’t be,” Nagisa said, “he kind of has a way of doing that.” Rei laughed, because it was true. Not only had Haru beaten them both to the first use of the word “boyfriend,” he had also _thoughtfully_ stocked the medicine cabinet in the bathroom with condoms and lube the day after Rei had introduced them. “I should probably get headed home, though,” Nagisa said.

Rei hummed, an eloquent little sound that was both understanding and regret, before pressing another soft kiss to Nagisa’s lips. “You have rehearsal all day tomorrow, right?”

Nagisa nodded, “I’m pretty much booked solid until after the show on Saturday.”

“Are you excited about your big debut?” Rei asked, brushing his thumb lightly along Nagisa’s cheek.

“I don’t think it’s hit me yet,” Nagisa said, closing his eyes and leaning into Rei’s touch. “I’ve been so busy that I haven’t really had time to think about it.” He yawned softly, then made a thoughtful sound, “Did you get your tux?”

“I’m picking it up tomorrow morning,” Rei said, slipping his arms around Nagisa’s shoulders and pulling him into a hug, “I’m sorry we couldn’t manage to get tickets for anyone else.”

Nagisa puffed out a tired laugh, laying his cheek on Rei’s shoulder, “Not for lack of trying. You know the lady at the front desk told me to tell you to stop calling?”

Rei hummed a soft agreement, pressing a kiss down into Nagisa’s hair, “It just seems silly not to give tickets to people who want to pay for them.”

Nagisa slid his arms around Rei’s waist, snuggling close and rubbing gentle circles at the small of his back, “It’s because they’re catering the pre-show event. No caviar and champagne without a thousand dollar donation.”

“My least favorite thing about the arts.”

Nagisa tipped his head up and pressed a soft, soft kiss to Rei’s neck, “It’s enough that you’re going to be there.”

Rei was quiet for a moment, then murmured down into Nagisa’s hair, “Come to bed with me.”

Nagisa breathed him in, warm and familiar, and nodded, “Okay.”

* * *

 Nagisa wound up just barely making it to rehearsal on time the next morning, but he was pretty sure the travel mug of Haru’s fancy coffee and belly full of Rei’s spectacular fried eggs were worth the extra rush. Nitori was already hard at work by the time Nagisa made it to the practice room, but that wasn’t a surprise; Nitori had been nothing if not diligent since Miho had taken him on as her assistant, and now that they were really down to crunch time, he had a perpetual air of seriousness and concentration that Nagisa remembered from when they were kids. From the look of things, he’d been putting the girls through their paces all morning, and he was wearing an expression of such intense, grim focus that Nagisa couldn’t resist the urge to sneak up behind him and tickle his ribs.

Nitori let out an undignified squawk, jumping and slapping Nagisa’s hands away, but Nagisa just laughed, “G’morning, Ai-chan.”

Nitori let out an aggrieved sigh when he recognized his assailant, “Nagisa-san, I didn’t hear you come in.” He gave a quick wave to his dancers, signaling for them to take a break. “Do you need something?”

Nagisa shook his head, “I just wanted to see how things were going. Find out what’s on the schedule for today.”

Nitori strode a few paces away, picking up a clipboard off the floor and flipping the top page, “Looks like you’re having your final fitting this afternoon. Besides that, I’d like to have you practice a little more with some of the nymphs before the dress rehearsal.”

“You mean Chiga-chan, right? Am I still screwing up the arm thing?”

“No, you’re doing just fine,” Nitori said, dropping the clipboard back to the floor. “As much as I hate to admit it, at this point you could probably do the whole routine in your sleep. But she’s still a little rough, and she can’t practice that bit without you.”

“Right,” Nagisa said, “Let me go get changed and warm up, and we’ll get things smoothed out.”

Nitori let out a little sigh of relief, a faint smile actually gracing his lips, “Great. We have a lot to do and not a ton of time.”

Nagisa started to leave, but hesitated, “Actually, while I have you here, I wanted to ask… since you’ve been working with Ama-chan, have you heard anything about the Nutcracker casting?”

Nitori crossed his arms over his chest, “Even if I had, you _know_ I can’t tell you anything.”

“Of course, of course,” Nagisa said, waving his hands in a placating gesture. “But maybe you could just… listen?”

Nitori glanced at the clock on the wall, then said, “You have two minutes.”

“Okay, so, I’ve gotten two callbacks, but all three times I’ve auditioned, they’ve had me do a totally different routine. Like, wildly different. And they keep making positive noises at me, but, you know, haven’t actually officially given me the part.” Nitori grunted, indicating that he was still listening, but not giving any other feedback. When had he gotten such a good poker face? “Anyway,” Nagisa pressed on, “I haven’t heard of anyone _else_ getting an official call yet, either, so after the last time, I got to thinking that the problem might not be with the casting, but with the direction, or the choreography…”

Nagisa leaned slowly toward Nitori, creeping into his personal space, but Nitori just said, “Hm, interesting.”

Nagisa sighed, adjusting the strap on his duffel bag, “Oh _fine_.”

But before he took two steps, Nitori said, “Don’t forget to send flowers to Sasabe-san’s mother. You know she’s having her surgery next week.”

Nagisa froze in his tracks. He had _not_ known that the mother of the production’s lead choreographer was about to undergo surgery, but it made a _lot_ of things make sense. Goro bowing out would have thrown the whole production into turmoil – more than enough reason to delay the casting, especially if the new choreographer wanted to take any of the numbers in a different direction. They probably hadn’t settled on anyone yet, but this weekend was as good a chance as any for Ama-chan to make a good impression, and if _she_ did, _he_ would, too. All the more reason to rock this performance. Nagisa’s smile was maybe a little wicked, “You’re right, I definitely will. She’s a lovely lady.”

Nitori snorted. “The picture of compassion and sympathy.”

“You’re the best, Ai-chan.”

Nitori rolled his eyes, “Then would you stop calling me that already? _Please_.”

“But you’re so cute,” Nagisa crooned, giving Nitori’s hair a little ruffle before fleeing to the dressing room.

* * *

The final days of rehearsal were brutal; not for the first time, Nagisa was grateful he had a boss who was both flexible and understanding, because he was pretty sure he would have fallen flat on his face if he’d tried to pull a shift at the club after spending all day running through the same routine over and over again. He was also immensely grateful for Rei, who showed up with a packed lunch during his break every day, and who had filled his refrigerator with enough homemade dinners (each in their own color-coded, microwaveable container) to last him all week.

By Friday night, Nagisa was tired but elated. The dress rehearsals had gone swimmingly, his costume was perfect, and if he’d read between the lines right, he was pretty sure he stood a chance at getting double the mileage out of his big break. The show itself was going to be a fairly small one – just three relatively short performance pieces broken up by orchestral interludes – but it was for a crowd full of decision-makers, he was the lead dancer in the final piece, and they’d even put him on the cover of the program.

By Saturday evening, Nagisa was practically vibrating with excitement. He’d spent the day helping out wherever he could backstage because he couldn’t quite force himself to stay still. An hour and a half before curtain call, he wasn’t the only one buzzing with anticipation; everyone was in motion, a blur of activity as the absolute final preparations were made before the show. Eventually Nitori found him, made his apologies to the people Nagisa was helping, dragged him into one of the private dressing rooms ( _he had his own dressing room!!!_ ), and sat him down to start getting into costume. The costume itself wasn’t hard – just a simple, skin tight bodysuit – and he could do most of the makeup himself, too, but the hair was a bit more of a challenge.

“I’ll get someone to come start your braids,” Nitori said. “Just get into your costume, and for the love of god _stay here_. I don’t want to have to try to find you again before the performance.”

But even Mr. Wet Blanket himself couldn’t dampen Nagisa’s good mood, “Aren’t you _excited_ Ai-chan? This could be your big break, too.”

“You know I wish you wouldn’t say things like that, Nagisa-san,” Nitori said with a sigh. “We have to get through this performance before it can be _anyone’s_ big break.”

Nagisa took in a deep breath, looking at his reflection in the mirror and smiling despite himself, “I know, I know, but… I feel _ready_.”

“Then you’d better _get_ ready,” Nitori said, but he ruffled Nagisa’s head affectionately before leaving the dressing room.

Rei, of course, waited to call until three people had their hands in Nagisa’s hair and a fourth was applying body paint to his arms. “Can you guys keep it down for just a minute?” he asked, then put his phone to his ear, “Hey Rei-chan.”

“Hey, I just wanted to let you know that I’m here. I’m actually headed inside right now.”

Nagisa smiled, “I’m glad you made it. Drink some champagne for me?”

“I’ll smuggle you some caviar.”

“Eaugh, please don’t,” Nagisa said, wrinkling his nose. “Would you do me a favor, though?”

“Of course. What do you need?”

“Grab an extra program for me?”

“Done,” Rei said. After a moment, he added, “Good luck out there tonight. You’re going to be great.”

“Thank you,” Nagisa said, wishing he could crawl through the phone for one last good luck kiss. “I love you,” he added quietly.

“I love you too,” Rei said. “I’ll see you after the show?”

“I’ll see you then,” Nagisa said, positively squealing with delight as he hung up his phone. It was still so new, so thrilling to hear Rei say it, and he was so, _so_ ready to dance that it was all he could do not to squirm. Evidently, he wasn’t doing a very good job of containing himself, because one of the women doing his hair had to forcibly press him back into his chair. “Hazuki-san, if you don’t _sit still_ , your horns are going to be crooked.”

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry,” he said, settling down so she could continue braiding, taming, and contorting his wild curls. “I’m just _so excited_.”

* * *

Two and a half hours later, it was his turn. The orchestra’s last piece was coming to a close, the stage curtains were drawn, and it was time. He padded silently out onto the stage and took his place on the large rock formation that had been set up just slightly off to one side. He spent a moment settling in to his starting pose and took a few deep, steadying breaths. This was it. This was his chance, and he was ready for it, and somewhere in the audience, Rei was watching. Rei would finally get to see him dance for real.

The last of the music died out in a wave of enthusiastic applause, and when the applause died down in turn, Nagisa let his thoughts fade with it, his focus narrowing and the world drifting into the background. And then the flute started to play, and the curtains drew apart, and the lights were on him, and he started to dance.

* * *

The applause was incredible, like nothing he’d ever heard before, and it was only then that it hit him that they’d performed in front of a very, very full house comprised almost entirely of very, very wealthy donors.

And he’d nailed it. Every movement had been perfect, every intimate look with his partners smoldering, every step elegant and in synch, like the music had taken him over and had its way with him. He spent a moment lying down in his ending position, face down on the rock prop, letting the applause pour over him like rain. There was no curtain call – it wasn’t that kind of show – so he had a moment to suppress the happy tears and calm his wild heartbeat.

Then he pushed up, breathed deep, and headed backstage.

The wings and dressing rooms were a mess of people hugging and congratulating, and Nagisa let himself be swept up in the celebration. Most of the people in the performance were like him – students with hardly a professional credit to their name – and the night had gone off without a hitch. There was a lot to be happy about.

Gradually, he made his way back to his dressing room, and as soon as he was inside, he shucked his costume and took a minute to wipe off his stage makeup before hastily pulling on a pair of sweats and a hoodie. He wasn’t about to start messing with his hair, though, because he and Rei had arranged to meet outside after the performance, and he’d already kept him waiting long enough. Nagisa took the fast way out, this time dodging the rest of the cast and slipping behind the stage to a service entrance on the far side of the building. He burst through the door without hesitation, throwing his arms up in the air and shouting, “Rei-chan!”

Then a dozen people shouted back at him, “SURPRISE!”

Nagisa clapped his hands over his mouth, letting out a startled shriek. It wasn’t just Rei waiting for him outside, it was _everyone_ ; Rin and Sousuke were standing next to Rei, Makoto, Haru, Kisumi, Gou, and Momo scattered behind them, along with a few other people from work and all three of Nagisa’s sisters. “Ohmygod,” he let out in a tiny breath, his throat tight, “You guys!” And then the tears came, and he ran down the stairs and threw himself into Rei’s waiting arms, not even bothering to try to stop himself from blubbering all over Rei’s immaculate tux.

Rei didn’t seem to mind; he simply leaned down and whispered, “You were incredible.”

And then everyone was there, hugging him, slapping his back, lifting him up and spinning him around, laughing and congratulating him until he was dizzy. He still had happy tears streaming down his face when his friends finally gave him a little room to breathe. “You guys,” he choked out, “How? How are you all here?”

“Nitori smuggled us in,” Haru said plainly.

Nagisa looked a question at Rei, who said, “He helped me convince them to sell us the unclaimed tickets last night after the box office closed. I wasn’t sure it was going to w-” Nagisa cut him off with a kiss, slinging his arms around Rei’s neck and pulling him close. When the catcalls started, he expected Rei to pull away. He did NOT expect Rei to lower him into a smooth, deep dip, sweeping him off his feet and kissing him back with every bit as much enthusiasm. By the time Rei drew him back up, the catcalls had turned into genuine cheers, and Rei smiled and whispered against Nagisa’s lips, “Surprise.”

Nagisa curled his hands into Rei’s lapels, breathless and entranced, but before he could steal another kiss from Rei’s soft, sweet mouth, Gou interrupted them, “Forget bartending, I want you two on stage together.”

Nagisa laughed breathlessly, dabbing at his eyes as he drew away from Rei, “You really closed the club so everyone could come tonight, Gou-chan?”

“I would have had a mutiny on my hands if I hadn’t,” she said, pulling him into a hug. “Besides, my new accountant said we could afford it.” Then, quietly, she added, “I wouldn’t have missed it for the world.”

“Okay, but seriously,” Rin said, “Are we not going to talk about how the shortie’s big debut was playing a horny goat man sexually harassing a bunch of ladies?” He looked at Nagisa, “I mean, that was the gist of it, right?”

“This is why I can’t take you nice places,” Gou said with a sigh.

“He’s even got _actual_ horns,” Rin said, reaching over to poke the tightly coiled braids on Nagisa’s head, then hastily pulling back. “Whoa, is that your _hair_?”

“No, they’re real horns,” Nagisa said, leaning forward to headbutt Rin in the chest. Rin let out a little _oof_ and Nagisa pulled back, gently patting at the braids, “Seriously, though, don’t mess with them or you might rip all my hair out. They’re _really_ tight.”

“We should probably let you go back inside so you can finish getting changed,” Makoto said.

Nagisa wanted to object, but the truth was, the tight braids were starting to give him the first ghostly hints of a headache, and he was a tad bit underdressed for the weather. “You’re probably right,” he said, “if there’s no one left back there to help me take these out, I might have to shave all my hair off.”

He didn’t miss the choked sound of surprise that Rei made, but his sisters didn’t give Nagisa time to comment before they wrapped him up in a big hug. “We’re so proud of you, Nagi,” Nanako said.

“And your new boyfriend is a _catch_ ,” his youngest sister whispered.

“Don’t I know it,” he said, giving them each a big hug and a kiss, “I’m so, so glad you could come. I felt awful that you were gonna miss it.”

“We all agreed to get season tickets for next year,” his middle sister said, “so you’d better give us an excuse to use them.”

Nagisa laughed, “I’ll do my best.”

After that, the group started to thin out, everyone giving Nagisa a last hug and final round of congratulations before heading back to their cars. Once everyone was gone, Nagisa let out a big sigh – tired but happy – and turned to face Rei, who was waiting patiently by the stairs. “You were magnificent tonight,” Rei said. “Absolutely stunning.”

Nagisa ducked his head, unable to meet the intensity of Rei’s gaze. “Thank you.”

Behind them, the stage door squeaked.

Nagisa glanced up, only to find Nitori frozen in the doorway, Nagisa’s gym bag slung over his shoulder. “You!” Nagisa shouted, pointing at him. Nitori started to backtrack, but before he could get away, Nagisa raced up the stairs, grabbed him by the arm, and pulled him into a tight hug.

Nitori squeaked, “W-what?”

“Thank you,” Nagisa said, squeezing him tight, “It was a fantastic surprise.”

Nitori let out a shaky laugh, hesitantly patting Nagisa’s back, “Well, it was mostly Rei-san’s idea.”

“But he couldn’t have pulled it off without an inside man,” Nagisa teased. He paused, growing serious, “I know you must have gone to a lot of trouble, and I want you to know I appreciate it.”

“Well, you _are_ kind of the reason I have this job in the first place,” Nitori said, rubbing his head nervously. “Anyway, I wanted to warn you not to go back inside.”

“What? Why?”

Nitori unslung Nagisa’s bag from his shoulder and handed it over, “Because the members of the board just showed up to have a chat with Amakata-san. I’ve never seen the dressing rooms clear out so fast.”

Nagisa chewed his lower lip, “A good chat or a bad chat?”

“A _private_ chat,” Nitori said, but a hint of a smile tugged at his lips, “though they all seemed pretty happy with tonight’s show.”

Relief and delight hit Nagisa in the gut like a one-two punch, and he grabbed onto Nitori, picked him up, and swung him in a circle, “That’s _fantastic!_ ”

Nitori took a few steps backwards as soon as Nagisa set him down, “Well, it’s nothing official. But I wouldn’t be surprised if you heard back in the next few days.” Nagisa was practically bouncing with excitement, but Nitori evaded him when he moved to hug him again. “Anyway, I need to get back and make sure everything is locked up. Rei-san, Nagisa-san,” he said, giving them each a nod and a wave before heading back inside.

“Does this have something to do with the Nutcracker casting?” Rei asked.

Nagisa nodded, flashing him a smile, “If I’m lucky.”

“After tonight’s show, I don’t think you’re going to need luck,” Rei said. Nagisa felt the heat creeping back into his cheeks; there was something about the way Rei said it that made it feel genuine and _true_ in a way that was almost overwhelming. Before he could muster a response, Rei said, “I actually have something else for you.”

“More surprises?” Nagisa asked with a sly smile.

“Maybe just one more,” Rei admitted. “Is it okay for you to leave? I know what Ai said, but…”

“It’s okay,” Nagisa said. “I promise I won’t actually shave all my hair off.” Rei stiffened a little, but Nagisa just laughed, linking his arm with Rei’s. “So what’s this surprise?”

“It’s nothing big,” Rei said hesitantly, but he started leading Nagisa through the parking lot anyway. Nagisa hadn’t realized how much time he’d spent with his friends, and was surprised to find the parking lot mostly deserted. Out of the shelter of the building, he also found that it was much colder than he’d realized, the autumn breeze cutting right through his relatively thin clothes. He shivered and huddled closer to Rei, who frowned down at him, “You must be freezing.”

“It’s a little chilly,” Nagisa admitted. Rei drew away momentarily, and Nagisa whined at the loss of contact. Then he realized that Rei was taking off his coat, and he made a soft sound of protest, “Rei-chan, no, you’ll freeze.”

“I think I’m better suited to the cold than you are,” Rei said, draping the coat over Nagisa’s shoulders.

Nagisa, who habitually wore as many layers as possible, didn’t have much room to object, and besides, Rei’s suit jacket was _warm_ , and it carried the faint, familiar smell of his cologne. Nagisa hugged the coat a little tighter around himself, nuzzling his cold nose down into the collar and breathing it in. He leaned back into Rei’s side, cooing teasingly, “Such a gentleman.” He reached up, running a finger underneath one of Rei’s suspenders and snapping it lightly, “You clean up nice, by the way.”

Rei let out a soft, self-deprecating laugh, “It’s hard to look bad in a tuxedo.”

“Mm, but you make this tux look _good_.”

Rei was saved from having to come up with a response when they arrived at his car. He unlocked the doors and headed around to the passenger side. “I know a bouquet is a more customary congratulatory gift,” he said, pulling open the car door and reaching for something inside. He came out a moment later, holding whatever it was hidden behind his back, “But I know your success is going to last for more than one night, and I wanted to give you something that would continue to grow with you, so… Congratulations, Nagisa.” Nagisa gasped softly as Rei produced a small potted plant – a miniature rose bush covered in tiny crimson blooms. “I know it’s not-”

“It’s perfect,” Nagisa said, his voice tight, and suddenly there were hot tears running down his face again. Rei reached up to brush the tears off Nagisa’s cheeks, looking worried, and Nagisa let out a choked little laugh. “I’m sorry, I just... you always know just the right thing to say, Rei-chan.” He wiped at his cheeks with the sleeve of his hoodie, then reached out to touch one of the petite blooms. It was smaller than the tip of his finger. “It’s beautiful,” he said softly, “thank you.”

“I thought it would do well on the windowsill in your kitchen. The lighting is best there, and it will be easier to remember to water it if-”

“Rei,” Nagisa said, interrupting him as gently as he could. Rei glanced up, surprised, like he’d been ready to rattle off another page and a half of plant care instructions. “Shut up and kiss me.”

Rei stared at him for a moment, mouth agape, before setting the plant back down in the box buckled into the passenger’s seat and closing the car door. Nagisa thumbed his gym bag off his shoulder, dropping it to the ground, then reached over and curled his hands around Rei’s suspenders, giving him a tug and pulling him close. Rei followed willingly as Nagisa leaned himself back against the side of the car, and when their mouths met, Rei groaned, his hands finding Nagisa’s hips and squeezing. Nagisa’s hands moved up to the sides of Rei’s neck, pulling him down into the kiss, and _god_ Rei was a good kisser, his mouth soft and hot, the motions of his tongue slow and gentle and just barely teasing, making Nagisa breathe hard and ache for more.

But Rei was keeping a careful distance between them, bodies close but not quite touching – not nearly close enough. Nagisa shifted his weight against the car and pressed his thigh in between Rei’s legs. Rei moved instinctively, groaning as he pushed himself against Nagisa’s leg, and when Nagisa realized how turned on Rei was, he decided he was sick of being careful. He decided it was time to push. His hands moved down to Rei’s hips, pulling him closer, and he flexed his thigh, pressing it against Rei a little more firmly and murmuring against his mouth, “You really _did_ enjoy the show tonight, didn’t you?”

Rei moaned again weakly, bracing his arms on the side of the car and leaning down to press his forehead to the crook of Nagisa’s neck. “Nagisa…” he gasped out, somewhere between a plea and caution.

“I want you,” Nagisa said, his voice soft but determined.

Rei was quiet for a moment as the words sunk in, his breath hot against Nagisa’s neck. Finally, he said, “Here?”

“Yeah,” Nagisa said. And when he felt Rei hesitate, he lowered his voice and murmured into Rei’s ear, “Unless you have a particular objection to getting sweat and cum all over your back seat.”

Rei groaned, hot and hard, “Fuck, _Nagisa_ ,” but it didn’t sound like an objection, especially not when he abruptly gripped Nagisa’s butt with both hands and lifted him up off his feet and away from the car. Nagisa yelped, instinctively wrapping his legs around Rei’s waist and grabbing onto his shoulders to steady himself. But evidently that was the point, because Rei backed up just enough to yank open the car door before climbing into the back seat with Nagisa still latched onto him.

It took a little finesse to get them both all the way in the back seat and the door shut behind them, but Nagisa was delighted when Rei pressed his weight down against him and their kiss turned hot and a little messy. As much as he loved Rei’s thorough, methodical kissing, it was even better when he lost himself a little, when he trailed his lips along Nagisa’s cheek and down his neck, sucking softly and grazing his teeth against his sensitive skin. Nagisa reached up and tangled his hand in Rei’s hair, gasping softly as Rei licked a hot line along his collarbone.

“You taste like sweat,” Rei whispered against his skin. Nagisa started to protest, to object that of _course_ he did, he had just - but the words turned into a soft, sharp cry as Rei sunk his teeth down into his shoulder. Not a complaint, then. Nagisa’s legs tightened around Rei’s waist, the mixed sensation of pleasure and pain making his hips buck. When Rei pushed him back down, grinding their hips together, Nagisa whined, desperate for more. He grabbed at the waist of Rei’s shirt, tugging at it helplessly, and finally Rei lifted himself up, holding his weight on one arm and moving Nagisa’s hand to a buckle at the small of his back with the other. “Can you get that?”

Nagisa nodded, hands fumbling with the fabric strap while Rei untied his bowtie and tugged it off. Rei started in on the buttons on his shirt, but he was having about as much luck unbuttoning them one-handed as Nagisa was with the buckle, and after a moment he made a frustrated noise and pushed himself up. He wound up kneeling between Nagisa’s legs, slightly bent over so he wouldn’t bump his head on the roof of the car.

“Trade you,” Nagisa said, reaching up and deftly undoing the buttons on Rei’s shirt. Rei nodded, shrugging out of his suspenders before methodically popping off his cufflinks and dropping them into the driver’s seat. He took off his glasses, too, setting them in a cupholder before reaching back and unfastening his cummerbund. When he tossed the strip of black fabric aside, Nagisa immediately abandoned his attempts to pull Rei’s shirt free and shifted his attention to the newly-accessible button on the front of Rei’s pants. Rei took up where Nagisa left off, peeling off his dress shirt and tossing it aside as Nagisa unzipped him.

Nagisa’s lips curled into a wicked smile as he parted the front of Rei’s pants, revealing a pair of silky royal purple briefs that left very, very little to the imagination. “I like these,” Nagisa marveled, fingertips tracing the shape of Rei’s cock through the thin material. Rei moaned weakly and slumped forward, bracing his arm against the back of the seat and pushing his hips into Nagisa’s touch, “I want to lick them.”

Rei let out a breathless little laugh, “If you think you can from there, you’re more than welcome to try.”

“I think you underestimate how flexible I am,” Nagisa said, shifting beneath him. There wasn’t much space on this side of the car, but he was pretty sure that if he-

Rei put his hand on Nagisa’s chest, stopping whatever gymnastics he was about to attempt and pushing him back down onto the seat. “As badly as I want to see how flexible you can be, I want this off first,” Rei said, giving Nagisa’s hoodie a tug.

Nagisa looked up at him, a small smile crawling over his lips, “So take it off me.”

“God, you’re…” Rei reached up and pulled open the zipper on Nagisa’s hoodie, his voice trailing off when he found nothing underneath but skin. Rei gaped, trailing his fingertips over Nagisa’s bare stomach, “You’re not…”

“Wearing anything underneath,” Nagisa confirmed, and when Rei’s eyes wandered lower, Nagisa laid his head back, giggling breathlessly, “Not a stitch.”

“You planned this,” Rei said, hooking his fingers into the waistband of Nagisa’s pants, but it didn’t really sound like an accusation.

Nagisa shook his head, leaning his hips up into Rei’s touch, “I just didn’t want to keep you waiting outside by yourself.”

Rei ran his fingertips along the inside of the band of Nagisa’s pants, gently stroking Nagisa’s hip and the sensitive spot just beneath his bellybutton, drawing a quiet moan out of him. Rei glanced up at Nagisa’s face, “Are you sure this is…?”

“Touch me,” Nagisa breathed. When Rei still hesitated, he said, “Please.” Rei slipped his hand out from Nagisa’s waistband, then brushed the backs of his fingers very, very lightly against Nagisa through his pants. Nagisa arched his hips up into the touch, making a sound that was half a whimper and half a whine, “Rei-chan.”

“That was for teasing me,” Rei said, his voice gone low and deep. But he didn’t draw out his “revenge.” While Nagisa’s hips were still lifted up off the seat, Rei slid his hands down under Nagisa’s waistband again, pushing his sweats down off his hips and over the curve of his butt. Then he leaned down, gently freeing Nagisa’s cock and pushing his pants down around his thighs. Nagisa started to stretch out, eager to kick his way out of the pants, but Rei stilled him with a hand on his hip, and Nagisa’s breath caught in his throat, eyes going half-lidded as Rei bent down over him and began pressing a line of smooth, gentle kisses down along the length of his cock. He reached up and twined his fingers in Rei’s hair, thighs trembling as Rei whispered, “God, you’re _perfect_ ,” his lips ghosting over Nagisa’s so-sensitive flesh.

“Rei-ch-aah,” Nagisa gasped, then swallowed hard, throwing his head back and groaning as Rei dragged his tongue up the length of him in a slow, hot line, then took him smoothly into his mouth. Rei swirled his tongue around the tip of Nagisa’s cock, slicking his skin with saliva so his lips moved smooth and easy when he started to bob his head, and of course, _of course_ he was good with his mouth. But as good as he looked, and as bad as Nagisa wanted to watch the way he moved between his legs, when Rei plunged down, taking more of him into his mouth, Nagisa couldn’t manage to keep his eyes open. His head lulled back, dizzy with pleasure, and he pressed his hand to his face, panting, “Fuck, Rei.”

Rei hummed, a little rumbling groan that sent vibrations rushing up and down Nagisa’s cock, and Nagisa couldn’t help but rock his hips, working himself deeper into the wet heat of Rei’s mouth. And, god, he’d wanted this so bad for so long, and it was so much better than he’d imagined, the sweet pull of Rei’s mouth, the tease of his tongue, the way Rei matched his pace, taking him a little deeper as they found their rhythm, making his toes curl and electric heat pulse through his body.

When Rei’s hands pressed down on his hips, pinning him against the seat, Nagisa’s eyes snapped open, filled with a momentary dread that he’d gotten carried away and pushed too far. When he looked down, though, he realized that Rei wasn’t drawing back, he was _leaning in_ , taking Nagisa all the way into his mouth. And it was a damn good thing Rei was holding him down, because his whole body _jerked_ , pushing up desperately into the sudden tight heat of Rei’s throat. Nagisa cried out, forcing himself to let go of Rei’s hair and grabbing desperately at the edge of the seat, gripping the cushion hard as Rei continued to move, just a little, throat working and head bobbing ever so slightly with him impossibly deep, until Nagisa’s breath came in short, hot gasps and his legs trembled and it was almost too intense. But somehow Rei _kept going_ , even when Nagisa felt himself tap against the back of his throat. He let out a strangled cry, reaching out and pushing his hands against Rei’s shoulders, “St-ah-ah! Too much!”

Rei drew back slowly, and Nagisa was a collection of live wires beneath him, his whole body sparking and sensitive and overstimulated, so even the feel of Rei’s hot, ragged breath made him shiver and gasp. He reached down and threaded his fingers in Rei’s bangs, pressing the heel of his hand to Rei’s forehead to keep his mouth at a relatively safe distance while he caught his breath. When he caught Rei looking up at him, a small smirk on his lips, Nagisa panted out, “ _How_?”

“I don’t have a gag reflex,” Rei said, his voice low and throaty. Knowing that it was his cock that had roughed up Rei’s voice made Nagisa shiver all over again.

“You should have led with that,” he said, gripping Rei’s hair a little tighter and holding him at bay when he tried to lean back down. “Hi, I’m Ryugazaki Rei, nice to meet you, I don’t h- Nngh, fuck!”

Rei finished his slow lick along the tip of Nagisa’s cock, then peeked up at him, “What were you saying?”

“You’re _dangerous_ ,” Nagisa marveled, and Rei let out a breathy little laugh. “Come here,” Nagisa said, his voice turning serious, “I want to touch you.”

Rei’s expression softened, and he crawled up the length of Nagisa’s body, leaning in when Nagisa reached for him and kissing him slow and deep. Nagisa slid his hands down along Rei’s back, and he curled his hands in the hem of his undershirt, peeling it up and over Rei’s head and off. Nagisa had to wiggle down a little to get his hands under the waist of Rei’s pants, but when Rei shifted to make it easier to get them off him, his foot smacked audibly into the car door. “Shit,” he hissed, startling and sitting up so abruptly he cracked his head on the roof of the car, “Fuck!”

Nagisa gasped, leaning up and pressing his hand to Rei’s head, “Are you okay?”

Rei nodded, wincing, “I think I need a bigger car.”

“Mmm,” Nagisa hummed, leaning in and pressing his lips to the butterflies tattooed on Rei’s neck, “You’re too tall for your own good. Sit back.” He put his hands gently on Rei’s shoulders, guiding him back until he was sitting seiza and then pushing him back so he was leaning against the car door.

Nagisa scooted back to the opposite side of the car, unhooking his legs from around Rei’s hips and wriggling free of his sweatpants before kicking them to the floor. “There,” he said, sliding one leg to the floor and lifting himself up so Rei could stretch out his legs, “better?”

“We’re going to get arrested,” Rei said, but the hungry way his gaze raked over Nagisa’s body sort of undercut his protest.

“I don’t care,” Nagisa said, crawling in between Rei’s legs and spreading them, “I want to lick you through your panties.”

“They’re not pa-ah!”

Rei’s underwear was as silky smooth under Nagisa’s tongue as it looked, the material straining against Rei’s cock and damp where the tip of him threatened to escape the waistband. Nagisa groaned, mouthing him through the material. Rei’s hand moved to grip Nagisa’s hair, but couldn’t quite find purchase on the braids. Instead, he ran his hand back through his own hair, showing off the line of his arm as he settled a little further down on the seat.

“You know, you’re a tough act to follow,” Nagisa said, lips moving against Rei’s underwear.

Rei let out a low, rumbling chuckle, “You didn’t even let me finish.”

“I told you,” Nagisa said, sliding his hands down into Rei’s pants. Rei lifted his hips, letting Nagisa push his pants down around his thighs. “I want to make a mess.”

“God, Nagisa,” Rei moaned breathlessly. Nagisa took it for an invitation. The purple briefs were too tight fitting to go far, and Rei’s laced dress shoes meant his pants weren’t going anywhere without a fight, either, but Nagisa didn’t care. He pulled Rei’s underwear down just far enough to let his cock spring free, hooking the waistband underneath his balls.

They’d gotten intimate enough before that he was more or less familiar with Rei’s size and shape, but actually _seeing_ him, hard and glistening wet at the tip, half tied up in his own dress clothes in the back seat of a car… that was something else. “Wow,” he breathed, taking a moment to appreciate the view before leaning down and pressing a kiss to the plump swell of Rei’s trapped balls. Nagisa darted his tongue down beneath the band of Rei’s underwear, teasing at first, then slowly drawing one of the soft globes into his mouth and sucking gently. This time, when Rei tried to grab onto his hair, Nagisa reached up and took his hand, lacing their fingers together.

Nagisa drew back slowly, working a line of wet, unhurried kisses up along the length of Rei’s cock. Unlike his evidently-born-to-be-a-porn-star boyfriend, Nagisa _did_ have a gag reflex, and Rei had a dick to match those big, strong hands of his, but even if he couldn’t fit the whole thing in his mouth all at once, that wasn’t going to stop him from appreciating every last inch. By the time he closed his mouth around the tip of Rei’s cock, Rei’s breathing had turned into a steady stream of low-pitched moans, and he was gripping Nagisa’s hand like he meant it.

Tempted as he was to show off a little, and as much as he was enjoying the firm, heavy feel of Rei pressing against his tongue, he’d meant what he’d said: he was not about to let the car go unchristened. So when he started working Rei with his mouth, he was slow and sloppy about it, licking and sucking and teasing, learning Rei’s most sensitive spots, but never giving him a steady rhythm, focusing more on getting him wet than getting him off. The bitter taste of Rei’s precum made Nagisa’s mouth water, but instead of swallowing it down, he let himself drool a little, saliva dribbling down the length of Rei’s cock until he was slick with it and the sounds his mouth made as he moved turned positively obscene.

Rei certainly seemed to be enjoying himself, though, if the sounds _he_ was making were any indication.

Once Rei was practically dripping wet, Nagisa drew back, letting the tip of him past his lips with a soft, wet pop. The little whimper of protest Rei made at the loss of contact was deeply, deeply satisfying, and Nagisa couldn’t keep the smile off his face as he leaned back and wiped the errant spit off his chin. He waited until Rei’s eyes were locked on him before licking a slow, wet line over his own palm and reaching down to stroke himself. He was so hard he ached, just from anticipation alone – to say nothing of the fantastic, lewd way Rei was spread out in front of him and the delightfully filthy noises he’d been making – but it was that simple gesture that pulled Rei out of his daze.

“Come here,” he rasped, reaching out and putting his hand on Nagisa’s hip, drawing him closer.

“Mmm, you come _here_ ,” Nagisa said, “or that door might leave a mark.”

Rei glanced behind himself, and after a moment he seemed to realize that Nagisa was right – the armrest on the door was pressed up against his back and poised to become very uncomfortable. He nodded vaguely, “Let me sit up?”

Nagisa withdrew just enough to let Rei get himself upright and sitting properly in the seat before hastily crawling back into his lap. On his knees, he and Rei were almost eye to eye, but Nagisa had to spread his legs out and lower himself a little to get their hips aligned. This time, when he licked his hand, it was urgent rather than teasing, and as soon as his palm was wet, he reached down between them and wrapped his hand around both of them. Rei groaned, and Nagisa let out a shuddering sigh as he started working his hand along their joined lengths. He started off slow, relishing the contact and shifting his hips and knees to get the angle right, but gradually picked up the pace as he found the way their bodies fit together.

Rei reached back to squeeze Nagisa’s ass with one hand, hitching him a little closer, but the other he trailed lightly along Nagisa’s neck, tipping his chin up with his thumb and drawing him into a kiss. And Rei kissed him slow and sensual, like he was the most precious thing in the world, even as they rutted against each other. When Nagisa started to pump them more vigorously, though, Rei drew back, breathing hard and moaning Nagisa’s name against his lips, and before long his mouth drifted down so he could graze his teeth along Nagisa’s jaw and down along his neck. He moved to grip Nagisa’s butt with both hands, and Nagisa let Rei take some of his weight, tipping his head back and moaning as Rei started biting and sucking at his neck and shoulders in earnest, teeth like little sparks of sensation that prompted him to work them faster.

The friction was slowly starting to chafe as Nagisa’s saliva began to dry out, but just as he was starting to consider switching hands, Rei adjusted his grip, steadying Nagisa with an arm across his lower back and holding his right hand up, palm towards Nagsia, “Get me wet?”

And, boy, did that go straight to his cock. Nagisa’s hand tightened around them and he puffed out a hot, “ _Fuck_ ,” before reaching up, gripping Rei’s wrist with his free hand, and leaning in to drag his tongue in a hot line up along his palm. In less dire circumstances, he would have teased, pulled each of Rei’s long fingers into his mouth one at a time, but as it was he just licked long, hot, messy strokes until Rei’s palm and fingers were slick, then pulled back and gasped out, “Please.”

Rei switched with him smoothly, and when he did, Nagisa moaned hard and loud. Rei’s hands were so _big_ , vastly better suited to the task, but just having Rei touch him, _finally_ , sent heat surging through his whole body. When Rei matched and then passed the quick pace Nagisa had set, his slick skin making them slide together more smoothly, it was overwhelming in the best possible way. Nagisa leaned back, bracing his hands against Rei’s knees, arching his back and thrusting into the tight circle of Rei’s hand.

He was pretty sure he couldn’t be held accountable for the filthy things that were spilling out of his lips, but even if Rei could make sense of the jumble of hot, desperate noises he was making, he didn’t seem to mind – busy as he was panting and almost growling out rough, hungry sounds, bucking his hips and grinding them together as he pumped them hard and fast. It was dizzying, having Rei turned loose on him, and it didn’t take long for the heat pooling in Nagisa’s belly to grow molten and take hold of him. He was just barely able to gasp out, “I’m gonna-!” before the orgasm ripped through him and he was coming in hot, intense spurts.

Rei pumped them a few more times, hard and rough, hand slippery and hot with Nagisa’s cum, before his body shuddered and he was coming too, letting out a harsh, rough moan and collapsing back against the seat. “Oh my god,” he gasped, head lulled back against the headrest. Rei slid his dry hand up along Nagisa’s back and hooked it around the back of his neck, drawing him in for another kiss that mostly consisted of them both breathing hard and pushing their mouths together. The urgent clumsiness of it turned the lingering aftershocks of pleasure into bubbling giddiness in Nagisa’s belly, and before long he found himself giggling against Rei’s lips with pure, endorphin-driven delight. Then Rei was laughing too, breathless, and gradually their kisses turned slow and smooth and languid. After a minute, Rei stroked his thumb lightly against Nagisa’s cheek and murmured softly against his lips, “Remind me why we waited so long to do this?”

Nagisa shook his head, nuzzling his nose lightly against Rei’s, “Overabundance of caution?” He smiled softly, pressing another gentle kiss to Rei’s lips and lowering his voice, “I wanted you to know I meant it.”

Rei leaned back a little, looking up into Nagisa’s eyes, his gaze intense and honest, “I love you.”

And it didn’t matter that he was naked and covered in cum, in the back seat of a car, in the middle of a parking lot – _that_ was what made him blush. Nagisa dropped his gaze shyly, unable to repress the small, pleased smile that tugged at his lips, “I love you too.”

Rei leaned up and pressed a kiss to one of Nagisa’s pink cheeks, “We should probably at least try to get cleaned up before someone comes to investigate.”

“What, you don’t want to cuddle like this?” Nagisa said, reaching down to run his fingertips through the wet spots on his chest and stomach. When he caught Rei’s eyes following him, he lifted his fingertips to his lips and licked them slowly.

When Nagisa started making exaggerated yummy noises, though, Rei gave him a firm slap on the ass. “Later. What did you do with my undershirt?”

The question was easier asked than answered, but after a minute of searching, Nagisa found it (stuffed up against the back windshield, somehow), and he and Rei took turns cleaning themselves off with it as best they could. Reluctantly, Nagisa squirmed back into his warmup clothes, and Rei tucked himself back into his pants and pulled on his dress shirt, but didn’t bother buttoning it up.

“I don’t suppose there’s any chance you’ll drive me home, huh?” Nagisa asked as Rei slid on his glasses. They’d fogged up the windows of the car pretty good, but he could feel the cold from outside radiating off the glass.

“What about your car?” Rei asked, fishing his abandoned suit jacket off the floor and draping it over the back of the seat.

“You could take me to come get it in the morning?” Nagisa said, flashing him a hopeful smile.

Rei laughed, “Only if you let me use your shower when we get to your place.”

“I’ll throw in a free back wash,” Nagisa said.

Rei leaned in and pressed a quick kiss to Nagisa’s lips, “I might take you up on that.”

Nagisa smiled, giving Rei’s lips a little lick, “Yeah?”

“Mmm, we’ll see.” Rei said, biting gently at Nagisa’s lower lip, “You have to sit back here, though. The plant called shotgun.” Nagisa pouted, but he didn’t really mean it, and Rei knew it. He gave Nagisa another quick kiss before shoving open the door, but he stopped short of putting his feet on the ground and bent down to pick something up. “Forget something?” he asked, holding up Nagisa’s gym bag.

Nagisa’s eyes went wide, “Oops.”

Rei just shook his head, then climbed out of the car and passed Nagisa the bag. Nagisa tossed it onto the floor behind the driver’s seat and Rei said, “Make sure to buckle in. I don’t want to get pulled over dressed like this, with the car smelling like sex.”

Nagisa gave him a little salute as Rei closed the door on him, but as soon as it slammed shut, Nagisa flopped back on the seat, stretching out and squealing, pressing his hands to his face and kicking his feet. They’d taken a step forward, and it felt like a big one, but in a good way – the _best_ way. He felt energized, like he could run laps around the parking lot until morning, and so light and buoyant that if he tried, he thought he might float straight up into the clear night sky.

When Rei climbed into the driver’s seat, he said mildly, “I don’t think that’s how you’re supposed to put on a seatbelt,” but Nagisa could hear the amusement in his voice.

“I had a really amazing night,” he said into his hands. “Give me a minute.”

And Rei did, taking his time turning on the heat, waiting for the windows to defrost and the car to warm up, and tuning the radio to some late night station that was all deep murmuring voices and classical music. Once Nagisa had composed himself, he made a point to sit behind the plant (seatbelt buckled, thank you very much), so he could watch Rei’s face in profile while he drove and admire the way the streetlights turned his cheekbones sharp with shadows, close enough that he could just barely hear Rei humming along with the music.

* * *

By the time Rei parked in front of Nagisa’s apartment, Nagisa had phased into a liquid state – warm and relaxed and practically humming with contentment and affection, like a particularly happy cat. He didn’t even realize he was half asleep until Rei opened the door next to him, letting a little gust of cold autumn air into the car. “C’mon,” Rei said, “let’s get you upstairs.”

“Carry me?” Nagisa mumbled.

Rei laughed, “Not this time. My hands are full, and I need you to open the door.”

Nagisa glanced over at the box in Rei’s hands and grunted, the cold air rousing him a little. He poked his feet around on the floor until he found his shoes and managed to wedge them on, then hauled himself and his bag out of the car. The brisk wind was enough to get him moving up the stairs to his apartment, but by the time he’d dug his keys out of his bag and unlocked the door, he was _freezing_. There was no relief to be found inside his apartment, either; he’d turned the heat off that morning, and the nighttime cold had crept in through his crappy windows.

Rei had mostly broken him of the habit of dumping all his earthly possessions onto the floor immediately when he arrived home, but tonight Nagisa was too cold and too tired to care. He tossed his gym bag unceremoniously underneath the table by the door and kicked off his shoes, making a beeline for the thermostat and cranking up the heat. Rei didn’t comment – either on the mess or the temperature – and headed past him into the kitchen, taking the small potted rosebush out of its box and setting it on the windowsill above the sink.

Nagisa rubbed his arms, trying to warm up a little, then hastily gathered up his spare blankets and pillows and started remaking his bed for two while Rei watered the rosebush (and all the potted herbs on the windowsill next to it) and poured a few cups of water into the coffee maker. “Were you serious about wanting to take a shower together?” Rei asked eventually, emptying Nagisa’s coffee filter into the trash and refilling it with fresh grounds for the morning.

“A shower sounds nice,” Nagisa said, shuffling over to stand underneath one of his vents so the hot air blew directly down on him. He let out a big, jaw-cracking yawn, then rubbed at his eyes, “Ugh, I’m exhausted, but it would probably be like, at least an eight out of ten on the gross scale to just crawl into bed like this, huh?” he asked, pulling at his hoodie and peeking down at his chest. They’d cleaned up pretty well, but…

“Probably a nine, maybe a nine-five,” Rei said, drying his hands off on a dish towel, “and we need to do something about your hair.”

Nagisa’s hand went up to touch his “horns,” which by now were probably looking a little worse for the wear. “Do you think you can undo them?”

“Well, I didn’t grow up with three sisters, but I’ll certainly give it a try. Come on,” he said, heading for the bathroom.

Nagisa trailed after him, shucking his hoodie and tossing it vaguely in the direction of the laundry basket Rei had given him as a “late housewarming gift.” The bathroom, if it was possible, was even colder than the rest of the apartment, and Nagisa tiptoed quickly past Rei and across the icy floor, flipping the lid down on the toilet and sitting on it crosslegged. He rested his chin on his fists and watched as Rei peeled off his shirt, folded it, and set it on the counter.

The shoes gave him a little more trouble, and he let out a little grunt of relief when he managed to yank them off. “I need to get new dress shoes,” Rei muttered to himself, wiggling his toes, “I forgot that these ones are half a size too small.”

“You have cute feet, though,” Nagisa said as Rei peeled his socks off.

“I have cold, _sore_ feet,” Rei countered, sucking in a little breath as his bare feet touched the cold floor. “Remind me why you moved in here again?”

“It seemed like a much better deal when my parents were paying half my rent and I didn’t understand how utilities worked,” Nagisa said. Having an apartment all to himself had seemed like a dream come true, but he hadn’t really understood the price of that particular luxury until he’d found himself trapped in a long lease and footing the bill for it on his own.

“Just a few more months, though, right?” Rei asked, stepping gingerly across the floor and leaning into the shower to turn on the hot water.

“Mm, and then you and Rin-chan get to help me move in the dead of winter.”

Rei groaned, “We’re going to have to find a way to move all your plants without letting the cold kill them.” He shook his head, dismissing the thought as he pulled the shower curtain shut, then turned to stand in front of Nagisa, “Tip your head forward?”

“Not gonna take your pants off?” Nagisa asked, dipping his chin so Rei could get a better look at the top of his head.

“With you bored and in groping distance?” Rei said, prodding at the braids, “I do have _some_ power of foresight. Now hold still.” Nagisa sighed dramatically, but Rei ignored him, continuing to poke and tug at the braids, trying to work out how they’d been put together in order to take them apart. “You know,” Rei said thoughtfully, “I can’t decide how I feel about these.”

Nagisa raised an eyebrow, glancing up at him, “Oh?”

“Mm, I miss being able to grab onto your hair, but they look good on you, and they’re surprisingly apt.”

Nagisa grinned, “Are you saying I’m a horny goat man?”

“Your words, not mine,” Rei said with a laugh. “In any case, they certainly suit you better than that angel costume you wear at work.”

“I am the picture of innocence,” Nagisa protested.

“Would you like me to repeat back to you some of the things you said to me in the car?” Rei teased.

“…point taken.”

“That’s what I thought,” Rei said, slowly starting to pull out bobby pins and carefully undoing small bands. Gradually, he started unweaving Nagisa’s braids, his touch light and gentle. After a minute, though, he said, “Yeah, you’re going to need to wash your hair. Some of this is… gel? Or maybe glue?”

Nagisa groaned, putting his face in his hands as Rei started in on the second “horn.” A few minutes later Rei was done, or at least as done as he was going to get, and Nagisa stood up and stretched out. The bathroom had warmed up and filled with steam, the two small mirrors fogging over, and Nagisa breathed in the velvety air as he pulled open the shower curtain. “You gonna join me?”

Rei gave a small nod, “In a minute. I want to check my pants for stains and see if I need to have them dry cleaned before I return the suit. I should also _probably_ try to salvage my underwear, since you seemed to like them so much.”

Nagisa wrinkled his nose, “Sorry.”

Rei just leaned over and pinched his butt, “Go on, I’ll be in in a minute.” Nagisa stuck out his tongue, but shimmied out of his sweatpants and climbed into the shower, pulling the curtain closed behind him.

The water felt _fantastic_ , maybe half a degree shy of too hot, and he groaned as he leaned his head under the spray. He only realized how gross he felt when the water started rinsing away the sweat and hair gel and other things that had dried all over him in the course of the evening. He let the water pound against his scalp for a moment, giving it a chance to soften the carefully formed ringlets of his hair before reaching up and running his fingers through them, massaging them gently to dissolve the gel. When he heard the squeak of the shower curtain sliding open, he tipped his head back to let the water slick his hair back before opening his eyes to watch Rei step into the shower.

It was somehow both familiar and new. Rei had rapidly become a part of Nagisa’s daily routine, a comfortable fixture in his home and in his life. Hell, how many mornings had he spent lying in bed listening to Rei using this very shower? But _naked_ Rei, looking disheveled and ravaged, a little bit bashful and a little bit nearsighted without his glasses, _in here with him_ … Nagisa wasn’t sure if it was the sexiest thing he’d ever seen or the sweetest, and his brain short circuited a little. He smiled, “Hey.”

Rei raised an eyebrow, “Hello.”

“Want to wash my hair?”

Rei puffed out a nervous little laugh, “Sure, why not?”

Nagisa tipped his head back into the water again, then ran his hands back through his hair. He’d gotten out the worst of the crunchy bits, at least. “Trade you places?”

The shower wasn’t big by any standards, but that just meant it was easy to pass off the way he brushed up against Rei when they slid past each other as an accident. Or at least, there wasn’t any way Rei could prove otherwise. As soon as he took Nagisa’s place under the shower head, Rei reached up to adjust the angle of the spray, laughing softly, “I always forget how small you are.”

“I’m not small,” Nagisa said, “I’m concentrated.”

“Right, how silly of me,” Rei said with a grin, then tipped his head back into the water, scrubbing his face with his hands and slicking his hair back. “God, I love this shower,” he said, rolling his shoulders and stretching his neck as the water pounded down on his skin.

“Mm,” Nagisa agreed, transfixed by the way the water darkened Rei’s hair and ran in little rivulets along his skin. “I’m going to take the shower head with me when I move.”

“Ordinarily I wouldn’t condone theft in any form,” Rei said, plucking Nagisa’s shampoo out of the shower caddy and pouring a little into his palm before replacing the bottle, “but considering your landlord has basically been robbing you for the last year and a half, I think you’ve probably earned it.”

Rei rubbed the shampoo between his palms, and Nagisa took a step closer to him, closing his eyes and tipping his head forward, “Still happy I’m going to be able to pay my rent on time again this month.”

Rei hummed his agreement, smoothing his hands through Nagisa’s hair and gently massaging his scalp, “You certainly worked hard enough for it.” Nagisa grunted a soft acknowledgement, leaning into Rei’s touch. After a long night of having his hair pulling at his scalp, the gentle pressure of Rei’s hands felt incredible, and he couldn’t help but melt under the attention. “Tip your head back,” Rei said quietly, “I don’t want to get soap in your eyes.”

Nagisa did as he was told, letting his head lull back lazily as Rei finished washing his hair. He made a sad little sound of protest when Rei’s hands slid out of his hair, then gasped softly as Rei leaned in and pressed a gentle kiss to the hollow of his throat, murmuring quietly against his skin, “God, you’re so beautiful.”

Nagisa smiled, warm and languid, “Flatterer.”

Rei smoothed Nagisa’s hair away from his face, gently wiping the shampoo suds off his forehead so he could open his eyes. “Does it count as flattery if I can’t stop myself from saying it?”

“Now you’re just teasing me,” Nagisa said with a laugh, pressing his hands against Rei’s chest and pushing him back under the shower head, “Hurry up and wash your hair.”

Despite Nagisa’s protests, Rei leaned in and stole a quick kiss before setting about sudsing up his own hair. Watching him, though, Nagisa understood what he’d meant; there was something intensely intimate about sharing something so seemingly mundane and personal – seeing Rei, eyes closed and face unguarded, as he slid into the routine of grooming himself. It was hard to resist the urge to touch him, and after a little while, Nagisa stopped trying. Once Rei had finished rinsing out his hair, Nagisa leaned in, pressing his lips gently to the little trickle of water that trailed down over the butterflies tattooed on Rei’s shoulder.

Rei made a soft, surprised sound, peeking down at him, “What was that for?”

“You look good wet,” Nagisa said, pressing another slow kiss to Rei’s skin, “and you make my water taste sexy.”

“Now who’s teasing?” Rei said, running his fingertips lightly up along Nagisa’s spine.

“Stop trying to seduce me again,” Nagisa said, grazing his teeth lightly over Rei’s pulse point.

Rei let out a shivery, breathless laugh, “Oh, sorry.”

“Mm, you should be,” Nagisa hummed, sliding his hands up along Rei’s sides and pressing his fingers gently to his ribs.

Rei groaned softly, closing his eyes, “You’re going to get soap in your eyes.”

“Don’t care,” Nagisa said, pressing another slow, lingering kiss to Rei’s shoulder. Rei sighed, slipping his fingers up into Nagisa’s hair and pressing a hand to the small of his back. “What-?” Nagisa started, then gasped softly as Rei pulled him close, guiding him into a turn like they were slow dancing. They swapped places smoothly, and once Nagisa was back under the shower head, Rei gave his hair a gentle pull, angling his head back and lowering him back into the spray. Nagisa made a soft, surprised sound, but it was half lost to Rei’s lips as he leaned down and kissed him, his long fingers working the suds out of Nagisa’s hair.

When Rei drew them both back out of the water, Nagisa murmured breathlessly, “Cheater.”

“Mmm, you started it,” Rei said, pressing another kiss to Nagisa’s lips before letting him go.

“And you pulled the same move on me twice.” Nagisa said, eyeing Rei skeptically as he reached for the conditioner. “Where’d you learn to do that?”

Rei poured some of the conditioner into his hand and passed Nagisa the bottle, looking a bit sheepish, “Five years of ballroom lessons when I was a kid and cotillion all through junior high and high school?”

“Ooh, Mr. Manners,” Nagisa cooed, squeezing conditioner onto his palm and starting in on his own hair.

Rei scoffed, massaging the conditioner into his scalp, “Yes, my parents’ rich friends were terribly impressed with me until they realized I was more interested in the dancing than their daughters.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Nagisa asked, his tone growing serious.

Rei shook his head, pushing his hair back out of his eyes, “I haven’t danced in a long time.”

“You’re good, though,” Nagisa said. “You know how to lead.”

“Well, with you it isn’t hard,” Rei said, reaching out past the shower curtain to grab a washcloth off the towel bar.

“What do you mean?”

“I dipped you almost all the way to the ground without any warning earlier, and you didn’t even flinch,” Rei said, reaching past Nagisa to wet the washcloth under the shower head. His lips curled into a small smile, “And then you let me do it again, naked.”

“…like I said, you know how to lead,” Nagisa said, trailing his fingertips lightly down along Rei’s chest.

Rei shook his head, drawing back a little and wringing out his washcloth, “You move so naturally, I could probably lead you around a dance floor with one finger.”

Nagisa smiled, “We should try that.”

Rei paused, his hands stilling, “I’d like that, actually. Though it’s hard to find an occasion if you aren’t loaded, and I’m horribly out of practice.”

“Well, I’ve pieced together maybe a year worth of ballroom lessons in my whole life, so I wouldn’t be able to do much more than follow you around, but I think it would be fun.”

“Me too,” Rei said with a smile. “I’ll keep an eye out.”

“Good,” Nagisa said, combing his hands back through his hair. “Does my hair look like hair again yet?”

“Quite hair-like,” Rei agreed.

“Thank god,” Nagisa said, leaning his head back to wash out the conditioner. By the time he finished rinsing out his hair, Rei was mostly covered in soap suds. Nagisa unhooked his big pink shower pouf from the hook on his shower caddy and lathered it up with soap, watching idly as Rei finished washing himself. “I was supposed to wash your back for you,” he said, starting to scrub his arms and chest.

“Technically,” Rei said, “You said you’d ‘throw in a free back wash.’” Nagisa tilted his head, and Rei added, “You could let me wash yours instead.”

Nagisa raised an eyebrow, scrutinizing him. There was something in the way he said it… “You’re up to something.”

“Maybe,” Rei admitted, and there it was again, the subtlest change in demeanor that made Nagisa’s breath hitch in his throat. “Would you like to know what?” Rei asked, holding out his hand, and after a moment, Nagisa handed him the soapy shower pouf. “Turn around.” He said it softly, but there was a faint air of command in his voice that made Nagisa shiver with anticipation as he gave Rei his back. Almost as soon as he did, Rei reached up and brushed the ends of Nagisa’s hair to one side, then bent down to press a gentle kiss to the nape of his neck. For a long moment, that was all, just lips and fingertips barely touching his neck and shoulders, but by the time Rei pressed the mesh pouf to Nagisa’s skin, he was so sensitive that it made him gasp.

“ _Now_ you’re seducing me,” Nagisa breathed.

“Maybe,” Rei said again. “Do you want me to stop?”

“Not even a little.”

Rei took Nagisa at his word, scrubbing his back in small, gentle circles, working across his shoulders and then slowly down. It felt good – great, even – but the way Rei washed his way down over the curve of Nagisa’s butt, then down along one leg was very nearly chaste. Then he started washing his way up along the other leg, and then – _oh_. Nagisa groaned, leaning forward against the shower wall and spreading his legs a little as Rei started running the shower pouf gently through the cleft of his ass.

“God, Rei,” he moaned weakly. Once he was finished washing him, Rei let the loofah drop to the shower floor and reached around, smoothing his soapy hand over Nagisa’s cock, which was already standing at attention. Nagisa groaned again, low and deep, shifting his hips so he moved in Rei’s slick grasp.

Rei urged Nagisa forward slightly, just enough so the water from the shower started running down his back, rinsing away the soap. “Is this okay?” he asked, his voice soft and low. Nagisa swallowed and nodded, and Rei leaned in and grazed his teeth lightly against the curve of Nagisa’s butt. “You sure?”

“Yeah,” Nagisa gasped out. “Very sure.” Rei’s hands slid back around, slowly kneading Nagisa’s butt and gently spreading his cheeks. “I probably should have seen this coming, huh?”

“Probably,” Rei said, so close that Nagisa could feel the soft aspiration of his breath. Then he leaned in closer and licked. It was all Nagisa could do to keep his feet under him, because goddamn if Rei didn’t know what he was doing. He took his time, too, exploring and teasing, licking slow, languid lines and circles, kissing and gently sucking, hands continuing to massage Nagisa’s ass like he could keep it up all night – and after a while, it started to seem like he might. Rei waited until Nagisa was practically trembling, relaxed under his attention but bright with sensitivity, before slowly probing his tongue inside him.

Nagisa saw stars. He was leaned against the shower wall, feet braced against the sides of the tub, his body so heavy with pleasure that if he moved an inch, he was sure he’d fall. As Rei continued to tease and lick inside him, Nagisa’s whole body started to shake. “Rei!” he cried out, “Fuck, _please_ , Rei, I can’t-!” And then Rei reached around, wrapping his hand around Nagisa’s neglected cock and stroking him once, then twice, and that was all it took. Nagisa let out a ragged shout, calling out Rei’s name and sagging against the wall as he came, his legs turning liquid beneath him. If not for Rei’s arm around his hips, he really might have fallen, and as it was, when his vision cleared and he managed to open his eyes, he was sitting down in the tub, his back leaned up against Rei’s chest. Evidently at some point one of them had turned the water off, but Nagisa couldn’t quite seem to remember that happening. “Holy fuck,” he said, letting his head lull back against Rei’s shoulder. “Where did that come from?”

“I’ve been wanting to do that since the first time I laid eyes on you,” Rei murmured, trailing his fingertips lightly down along Nagisa’s chest.

Nagisa shivered, reaching up and catching Rei’s hand in his own and clutching it against his chest. His heart was pounding and he was still breathing hard, his body heavy. He was having trouble keeping his eyes open, “Was it everything you imagined?”

Rei made a little affirmative hum, running the tip of his nose lightly along the side of Nagisa’s neck and nuzzling just below his earlobe, “I particularly liked the part where you started screaming my name.”

Nagisa moaned weakly, “God, Rei.”

“Mm, yeah, it was like that, but much, much louder.”

Nagisa let out a breathy laugh, shoving Rei gently with his elbow, but Rei just hugged him back against his chest, pressing a soft kiss to the curve of his neck. Nagisa made a thoughtful sound, “Does this have anything to do with what you told Haru-chan about my butt?”

Rei rested his chin gently on Nagisa’s shoulder, “Maybe.”

“‘There’s a hot stripper at work, and his ass is so fine, I wanna eat it?’”

“That would be the extremely abridged version, yes.”

“ _Extremely abridged_?” Nagisa said, incredulous.

Rei hid his face in Nagisa’s shoulder, “It may have been more than one conversation.”

“Rei!”

“I told you, I didn’t think I’d ever even get the chance to talk to you,” Rei said, sounding utterly miserable. “And it’s sort of our thing, to lament loudly about the ones that got away. It’s why I was so glad Makoto didn’t turn him down. I would have had to listen to him speculate about what could have been for _days_.”

“Why, though?” Nagisa said. “I mean, why did you think I’d get away?”

Rei was quiet for a moment, propping his chin gently back on Nagisa’s shoulder. “Because when I saw you walk on stage the first time, it was like the world slowed down.” He shook his head, “And you’re not supposed to get to have that, not in real life.”

“We do, though.”

“Yeah,” Rei said, “we do.”

Nagisa raised Rei’s hand to his mouth, pressing gentle kisses to his palm and wrist, “I’m really glad you asked me out.”

“I’m really glad you said yes,” Rei said, his voice soft and fond as Nagisa kissed gently at his fingertips. After a moment, he said, “You’re shivering.”

Nagisa grunted softly, “It’s getting a little cold.”

“Can you stand up again yet?”

“That’s a good question.”

“Here, scoot,” Rei said, putting his hands gently on Nagisa’s shoulders, “I’ll help you up.”

With Rei’s help, Nagisa managed to get back to his feet despite the lingering shakiness in his legs, and after a few more minutes and a little more maneuvering, they’d both managed to get rinsed off (again) and warmed up a little. By the time Rei turned the shower off, Nagisa was feeling steadier, but he still accepted Rei’s hand to help him out of the tub, and didn’t object when Rei dropped a towel on his head and started rubbing his hair dry.

When Rei started wrapping him up tightly in one of his oversized beach towels like he was a big burrito, though, Nagisa laughed and said, “What are you _doing_?”

“Making sure you don’t freeze to death.”

“How am I supposed to dry my hair if I can’t move my arms?” he asked, wiggling a little.

“I guess you’ll just have to sleep with it wet,” Rei said, wrapping a towel loosely around his own waist and pulling open the medicine cabinet.

“I thought you _didn’t_ want me to freeze to death,” Nagisa said, wriggling free of the towel and bending down to fish his drier out of his bathroom vanity. He paused, unwinding the cord, then said, “I think you just want to see my crazy bed head again.”

But Rei just widened his eyes innocently, cheeks puffed out as he swished his mouthwash, then pointed at his mouth and shrugged helplessly, indicating that he couldn’t possibly respond to these cruel and baseless accusations. Nagisa rolled his eyes and plugged in his drier.

Ten minutes later, his hair was soft and fluffy, Rei’s was dry but hilariously cowlicked, and Nagisa was struck again by how much he liked the way they looked together in his bathroom mirror as they brushed their teeth – even if Rei was _still_ teasing him about his (excellent) choice in toothpaste.

They headed back into the main room of the apartment together, and Nagisa tugged on an oversized shirt and a passably clean-smelling sweatshirt before heading over to his thermostat and turning the heat up a few degrees, because he was an adult, damnit, and he’d just gotten paid, and he _deserved_ to be able to waste a little money to be warm enough not to have to wear pants to bed.

Since he literally didn’t have a drawer to spare for someone else’s clothes in his tiny, tiny apartment, Nagisa was grateful that Rei had had the foresight to stash an overnight bag on top of his armoire. But Rei seemed to have the same idea, pulling on a pair of loose-fitting drawstring pants but not bothering with a shirt before sliding down into bed.

Instead of joining him, though, Nagisa rummaged around in his gym bag and pulled out his phone.

“What’s up?” Rei asked, propping himself up on one arm and watching him.

“Just checking something,” Nagisa said.

Hastily, he typed out a text to Rin.

Me: Thanks for coming tonight. I know it’s not your jam, but I’m really glad you were there.

Me: Also, I wanted you to be the first to know that I’m dating a two time gold medal winner of the Oral Olympics, and that I probably have handprint bruises on my ass ✧*｡٩(ˊᗜˋ*)و✧*｡

“Something funny?” Rei asked.

“Just a text,” Nagisa said, dropping his phone back into his bag and flipping off the lights before sliding into bed and into Rei’s arms. He pressed a soft kiss to Rei’s lips, “Let’s get some sleep?”

Rei pulled the blankets up over their heads, cuddling in close and twining their legs together. “Thought you’d never ask,” he murmured, but they kept kissing lazily under the covers late into the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you like trashy period dramas too, the movies referenced early in this chapter are The Horseman on the Roof (French title: Le hussard sur le toit) and Quills, both of which are hard Rs, and both of which are well worth watching, if you're into that sort of thing. If you happen not to be in the evidently rather small percentage of people who have ever heard of cotillion, it's a kind of combination school club slash finishing school where you get lessons in etiquette and ballroom dancing and attend formal events, in order to prepare you to become a member of polite society.
> 
> Also, I mentioned it in the last chapter, but the dance Nagisa performs is a historical reconstruction of Vaslav Nijinsky's choreography of L'après-midi d'un faune. It's an extremely unusual ballet, specifically staged to evoke the style of paintings found on ancient Greek vases, and was *scandalously sexy* when it premiered in 1912. So, if you're curious about the dance, costume, or staging, or are hungry for some cultural enrichment, you can watch another performance of it [here](https://vimeo.com/9655680).


	8. Variation 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Nagisa deals with the aftermath of his big debut, the club starts gearing up for Halloween, and Rei introduces Nagisa to the fine art of scheduling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aka: That time I snuck a Rocky Horror recast into a fic. 
> 
> Now with some [GORGEOUS FANART](http://claudiawastaken.tumblr.com/post/130850642453/heeeey-look-i-did-a-thing-its-nagisa-from) of Nagisa in his faun costume!
> 
> Just a reminder, this chapter takes place the morning after Nagisa's performance at the fall fundraiser, despite the fact that there was a chronologically-errant chapter posted in between. I've reshuffled the fic to match the timeline of the story, but just so there's no confusion, this takes place after the end of Variation 2.

The next morning Nagisa woke with the vague sense that something had disturbed him, but he couldn’t put his finger on what. Judging by the light creeping in through his blinds, it was sometime in the late morning or early afternoon. Rei was still asleep, curled against Nagisa’s side with one arm draped over his stomach. Nagisa rubbed his eyes and stretched out a little, then looked around the room, trying to figure out what had woken him.

Then he heard the faint sound of his ringtone. He groaned, running his hand down his face. Apparently he’d forgotten to silence his phone before he went to bed. By the time he managed to slide out from under Rei and fish his phone out of his bag, the ringing had stopped. He flipped on the screen and saw one missed text from Rin (“y do I even read ur texts?”) and two missed calls from Miho. “Shit,” he muttered under his breath, switching off the ringer and heading over to his wardrobe. He pulled on a clean pair of sweatpants and tugged on some mismatched socks, then retrieved his big cushy robe and slippers from the bathroom and donned them too. He quickly flipped on the coffee machine in the kitchen before slipping out the front door onto the balcony, already redialing Miho’s number.

“Hello?”

“Ama-chan,” Nagisa said, closing the door quietly behind him. It was cold outside, but sunny and clear, and the air smelled faintly of dry leaves. “Sorry I missed your call. What’s up?”

“I assume Aiichiro told you about my meeting last night?”

Nagisa pulled his robe on a little tighter, looking out over his complex’s small parking lot, “He mentioned you had a talk with the bigwigs.”

“I did,” she said. “Evidently they were quite impressed with the show last night, and have asked me to take over during Sasabe-san’s leave of absence.”

“That’s fantastic,” Nagisa said, biting his lip to try to keep himself from sounding _too_ pleased, “Congratulations.”

“Thank you,” she said. “I also had a question for you.”

“What do you need?”

“Of the parts you auditioned for for the Nutcracker, which one are you most interested in?”

Nagisa blinked, “What?”

“I’m asking, if you had to pick, which part would you want?”

Nagisa gripped the balcony’s metal railing, hoping the cold would steady him, “Is that… I mean, can you…?”

“Oh, I’m not asking for me,” Miho said, “This is coming straight from the casting directors. You’re their top pick for all four dances.”

Nagisa leaned heavily against the railing, “Are you serious?”

“Yes, and if they hadn’t cast the lead dancers already, I think they probably would have recommended you for a bigger part. Anyway, they can’t come to a decision, and the board wants a finalized cast list by the end of the weekend so we can finally start rehearsals, so I thought I’d ask how you felt about it.”

His instinct was to blurt out _anything, everything, whatever you’ll give me_ , but he knew Miho, and this felt like a test. He took a steadying breath. “Well, since the choreography hasn’t been finalized, I couldn’t say for sure without talking it over with you.”

“Since I only found out I’d be taking over last night, there isn’t much I can tell you. For what it’s worth, the casting directors thought the Chinese tea dance would be good for showing off your footwork, and the Russian candy cane dance would showcase your leaps. The board members also liked your chemistry with Hanamura-san, and she’s been tentatively tapped for the Spanish chocolate dance as well. The Arabian coffee dance would put you on stage for twice as long, though.”

Nagisa was quiet for a moment, turning over what she’d said in his head, raking through her words for what was hidden between the lines. Eventually he said, “The Arabian dance is the one that’s most likely to change from one performance to another. Did you have anything in particular in mind?”

“Well, the casting directors have been angling for a traditional pas de deux,” Miho said. Nagisa wrinkled his nose. If they liked him and Chiga-chan for the number, it would mean he’d spend most of the dance spotting her, and he wasn’t tall enough or strong enough to earn a reputation playing support. “Frankly, though,” Miho added, “I find the prospect dreadfully dull, and you’d be wasted playing barre for Chigusa, of all people.”

Nagisa chewed his lip. “The Arabian dance usually has a female lead,” he said cautiously. “Do you think there’s a way that I could showcase my abilities in that role?”

“Well, that depends,” she said. “Do you think you can convince Aiichiro to dance again?”

“Huh?” Nagisa said inelegantly. He hadn’t been expecting _that_.

“I watched you two practicing together when Chigusa was ill, and you have the kind of chemistry that only comes from years of familiarity. And, frankly, I’d like to see how he takes to the stage.”

“I think he’d be willing,” Nagisa said, “He told me he misses it. But… what do you have in mind?”

“…I assume you’re familiar with the story of Aladdin and the Magic Lamp?”

She had mostly finished pitching her idea when Nagisa heard the door to his apartment open behind him and Rei stepped out onto the balcony wearing one of Nagisa’s sweatshirts and holding two cups of coffee. Nagisa smiled, mouthing _thank you_ as Rei passed him his favorite penguin mug. He took a slow sip, basking in the warmth of the coffee. It was made just the way he liked it – lots of milk, lots of sugar – and was steaming hot, enough to take the edge off the chill in the air. He was surprised and pleased when Rei came to stand next to him, leaning against the balcony instead of retreating back into the warmth of the apartment. “Who is it?” Rei asked very quietly.

 _Ama-chan,_ he mouthed, and Rei immediately brightened, but Nagisa held up a hand, because Miho was wrapping up her spiel.

“So, what do you think?” she asked.

“I think it’s a _fantastic_ idea, if you can sell them on it,” Nagisa said. Having a solo male dancer for anything but the lead roles in the Nutcracker was almost unheard of, let alone a duet of two male dancers. “…do you think you can sell them on it?”

“After last night I do,” Miho said. “If you think you can talk Aiichiro into it.”

“He’ll do it. I’ll make sure of it.”

“That’s what I like to hear,” she said, sounding almost as pleased as he felt. “Just so you know, though, we’re going to have to make up for the delay in the casting with added rehearsals.”

“Ama-chan, if you ever forget to threaten me with extra rehearsals, I’ll know you’ve been body snatched.”

She laughed, bright and cheerful, “Fair enough. I’ll email you an updated schedule as soon as we have it.”

“Perfect,” he said. “And thank you again.”

“You would have gotten the part without me,” she said. “I’m just going to make it a little more fun for you.” After a moment, she added, “You were brilliant last night, Nagisa, and I’m not the only person you impressed, not by a long shot. So don’t give up on finding parts that suit you.”

“I won’t,” he said, “and thank you.”

“Mm. I’ll see you on Monday.”

“See you then,” he said, then hung up the phone.

“You got the part?” Rei asked.

Nagisa’s features split into a radiant smile, “I got something even better. She’s going to let me and Ai-chan choreograph our own dance.”

* * *

Nagisa made lunch reservations at a nice café and set aside three hours to try to convince Nitori to come back to the stage. Once he got him on the phone, though, it took less than three minutes to get him on board, and they wound up skipping lunch and heading straight to the dance studio to start doing a rough blocking of their routine. They worked well together, probably better than either of them would have guessed; Nitori was surprisingly good at translating Nagisa’s half-formed motions, gesticulations, and vague intuitions into stage directions, and Nagisa had a knack for turning Nitori’s cohesive but somewhat choppy vision into something fluid and elegant.

They wound up spending all night Sunday turning Miho’s rough proposal into the bones of a four and a half minute dance and presented it to her first thing Monday morning. And Miho showed why she’d gotten Goro’s job; like a sculptor, she deftly trimmed and subtly reshaped their routine, dramatically improving and refining it without actually substantively altering it. She made it clear that every decision would go through her – nothing final without her say so – but that otherwise, she was putting this small piece of the performance in their hands.

“What about the lead in, though?” Miho asked. “Your notes are pretty vague up to the thirty second mark.”

“Oh, that’s my fault,” Nitori said. “I wanted to talk to you about staging before we settled on anything. Is the rest of the cast going to be on stage for this whole sequence?”

“We don’t have the budget to do full set changes for all the routines, so probably.”

“That’s kinda what we figured. We want to start with Ai-chan on the floor,” Nagisa said, laying down with one arm sprawled on the floor above his head to demonstrate, “not quite touching the lamp, like he got knocked out when he got trapped in the cave, and maybe it fell out of his hand.”

“Any other props?”

“I don’t think so,” Nagisa said, sitting up. “He’s supposed to be trapped in this awful dark cave, so I was thinking we could black out the lights-”

“Which would hide the rest of the cast,” Nitori added.

Nagisa nodded, “And put a spotlight you and the lamp, and then-” He snapped his fingers, “I’ve got it! You’re in this little trickle of light with the lamp, and then you reach out and touch the lamp, and poof, it lights. We get a little orange flicker, switching the lighting from blue to orange and… Start the music?” Nitori grabbed his phone, starting the track from the beginning, and Nagisa narrated and moved along with the music, “You’re on the floor, you come to, you reach for the lamp, touch the lamp, the lamp lights. The light flickers, flickers, flickers, and as it does, I start coming out of the darkness, like-” He cut himself off, taking a pose on the floor and rising up slowly, “Maybe with a veil, so it looks like smoke?”

“Yeah,” Nitori said, switching off the music and nodding, “because djinn are fire creatures. You could do, like, red and orange for the costume, with a sheer gray veil?”

“Right, I like that. And Aladdin is there on the floor, freaked out cuz he just got tricked into going into this magic cave and left to die, and now there’s this fire creature coming out of a magic lamp.”

“Mm,” Nitori hummed, “and I’m afraid, but also realize this is my only chance at getting out of the cave alive, even if it means making a deal with a devil.”

“Right. And you’re also _my_ only chance of getting out of the cave, and I haven’t gotten to prank a wish-making human in, like, a millennium, so all I want is for you to pick up that lamp so I can have a little fun with you.”

“So more of a bargain than a master/servant dynamic,” Miho remarked.

“Eh,” Nagisa said, “I think it’ll nod to supplication – your wish is my command, and all that – but more like…look I’m magic, don’t be scared, I’ll make your dreams come true, trust me.”

“Not quite seduction,” Nitori said, “but definitely temptation. I like the fire idea, though. Like I’m drawn to the light but in danger of getting burned. We can take that pretty far with just lighting and costumes.”

“Can you lift him?” Miho asked, nodding toward Nitori.

Nagisa glanced at him appraisingly. “If he promises not to kick me for trying.”

“What about you?” she asked Nitori.

Nitori frowned, “I’d need to practice, but probably. It’s been a while.”

“Okay,” Miho said, pulling their stack of roughly-scribbled notes across the table and flipping through the pages. “This is a good start, but why don’t we run through it once more, from the top?”

* * *

Of course, pushing back the casting meant the whole production was on a tight schedule; Goro’s ill-timed leave of absence had reduced the amount of time they had to rehearse by almost a third, and that meant everyone was working overtime. Nagisa had already spent a month on a tight timetable, so he thought he was prepared. What he didn’t take into account was that, while his practice for the fall fundraiser had technically been part of his coursework, the Nutcracker _wasn’t_ , which meant the rushed schedule came on top of his normal classes and his job at the club.

At the same time, Rei had started steadily picking up work at the tattoo parlor; though he’d intended to finish Rin’s tattoo before even considering working there full time, their progress photos were garnering attention, and word had started to get around that the guy who had been doing designs for the last year was finally taking his own clients.

Together, it meant fewer date nights, a lot more takeout, and on more than one occasion, the both of them falling asleep on the sofa, dinner half eaten, the TV still on, with a blanket barely draped between them.

“You’re running up our electric bill,” Haru said the third time he’d found them, stiff-necked and drool-crusted, in yesterday’s clothes, still sprawled on the sofa come morning. “And probably killing the TV.”

“‘s my TV,” Rei mumbled, rubbing the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand. “You never use it anyway.”

“You’re upsetting the cats,” Haru said, changing tactics.

“The cats. Are upset.” Rei repeated, lifting himself up to peer at his roommate over the back of the sofa.

“Shhh,” Nagisa said, fumbling around for Rei’s hand and then pulling him back down onto the sofa, “Haru-chan’s just grumpy because Mako-chan’s been busy all week.”

Haru huffed, which did nothing to disprove Nagisa’s theory. Then he drove a nail into his own coffin, “You’re going to see him at work tonight, right?”

Nagisa grinned, but was grateful Haru couldn’t see it, “He’s working the early shift, but he should still be there when I get there. Why?”

“Could you give him this for me?”

Nagisa looked up as a large manila envelope was lowered in front of his face. He reached up and grabbed it instinctively, “What is it?”

“It’s for Makoto,” Haru answered cryptically, but he didn’t object when Nagisa immediately opened the envelope and pulled out the thin, rectangular canvas inside.

Nagisa blinked at it sleepily, “Why’re you giving Mako-chan a painting of hills?”

Rei inched closer, reaching up to turn the canvas so he could see it. As soon as he did, he snorted, “Those aren’t hills.”

Nagisa rubbed his eyes, tilting his head and looking at it again. Then Rei reached over and tipped the canvas to one side. Nagisa gasped, scandalized, “Haru-chan!”

“Will you give it to him?”

“Yeah, yeah,” he muttered, tilting the canvas again. He wondered if Makoto would see the meadow-green hills spread out beneath a clear blue sky, or if he would recognize the curve of his hip and the broad plane of his back, and notice the gaps and gives where the blue, blue sky pressed down against them, two bodies creating a horizon. “You want me to give him a message?” Nagisa asked, sliding the canvas back into the envelope.

“Just the painting.”

* * *

Most days, Nagisa was able to stagger his responsibilities – he didn’t have class every day, and both Gou and Miho were demanding but reasonable when it came to scheduling. Inevitably, though, there were days where work, class, and rehearsals all piled up back to back to back, leaving him hardly any down time between when he woke up in the morning and when he collapsed into bed at night.

He’d just gotten out of a grueling rehearsal after a long morning of classes and was making a beeline through the parking lot toward his car when his phone started ringing. He glanced at the screen. Gou. He sucked in a breath and seriously considered ignoring the call. Rei was waiting for him back at his studio, and, more importantly, so was his bed.

Then again, it was starting to look like he was going to come up short on rent again this month. If Gou was going to offer him extra hours, he almost _had_ to take them. He climbed into his car and pulled the door shut, then closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and answered the call, “Hey Gou-chan. What’s up?”

“Nagisa, I’m glad I caught you.” She was going to make him go in early. Someone was sick, or something, and he was going to have to get on that fucking stage on five fucking hours of sleep and- “I wanted to talk to you about our Halloween show.”

He blinked. “What?”

“Er, right,” she said with a laugh, “I forgot you weren’t technically working for me last year. We put on a special one-night-only show every Halloween. We’re closing early and having a meeting tonight to decide what we’re going to do, so make sure to show up with ideas!”

Nagisa rested his forehead on his steering wheel. Halloween was his favorite holiday, but the thought of trying to pull together _another_ performance made him want to vomit from sheer exhaustion. She said they were closing early, but he’d been working for her long enough that he was already mentally calculating how much sleep the meeting was going to cost him. Out loud, he said, “Sure thing, Gou-chan!”

“See you tonight!” she said cheerily, then hung up. Nagisa sighed, slinging his arms over the steering wheel and slumping against it. At least if she kept him late, he’d get paid for it. Maybe if he sat in the back, or hid behind Sousuke, he could sleep through the meeting? And surely Rin wouldn’t let things run _too_ late. He sighed and started his car. He just had to make it through the rest of the day; tomorrow, he could sleep in.

He drove home on autopilot, stopping only for a hamburger (which he ate without tasting while sitting at a red light), then dragged himself upstairs and inside.

Rei was exactly where Nagisa had left him that morning – curled up in bed, shirtless, with his nose in a book. The only thing that had changed was the book he was reading, and from the look of their nightstand, it was probably his third or fourth one of the day. In a cruel twist of fate, Rei’s schedule was completely clear for the first time in weeks on the one day Nagisa was hardly going to be home at all. “Making the most of your day off, I see,” he teased, setting down his duffel bag and peeling out of his coat.

Rei made a little hum of agreement, but it was a moment before he looked up, marking his spot on the page with his fingertip, “How was rehearsal?”

“Exhausting,” he said, hopping on one foot as he pulled off his boot. “I’m pretty sure Ama-chan worked us twice as hard to make up for having to give us tomorrow off.”

“She’s quite the tyrant,” Rei said, rolling onto his side to look over at Nagisa. His legs shifted alluringly beneath the sheets, and even as tired as he was, Nagisa couldn’t help but notice the way the movement tugged the fabric down, exposing the smooth curve of Rei’s hipbone. He wondered, absently, whether Rei’s pajama pants had slipped down, too, or if he’d taken them off at some point during the day. “And here I thought you were just coming home for a nap.”

Rei’s teasing tone brought Nagisa’s eyes back up to his face, making him realize he’d been staring. “That was the _plan_ ,” he huffed, pulling off his hat and throwing it at Rei’s smug little smile.

Rei laughed, sticking the beanie in his book like a bookmark and setting it on the nightstand, “Did Gou-san get a hold of you?”

“Ugh, yes,” Nagisa said, flopping down onto the bed. “You too huh?”

“Mm. I guess we’ll be staying late tonight.”

Nagisa groaned, shoving his face into his pillow, “She’s going to make me hate Halloween.”

Rei shifted beside him, and Nagisa breathed a quiet, contented sigh when Rei started rubbing his back. “You don’t have any brilliant ideas?”

“Not really,” Nagisa said, then turned his face toward Rei so the pillow wouldn’t muffle his voice. “We’re all in costumes every night anyway, so there’s not a ton of room to innovate on that front.”

“You could always do faux-scary costumes,” Rei said, lying down so he could look Nagisa in the eye, “Sparkly vampire? Sexy wolf boy? Scantily clad mummy?”

Nagisa let out a tired laugh, “I do have an _extremely_ cute witch costume. But, god, I don’t want to have to come up with a bunch of new routines.” He yawned, hugging his pillow to his head, “Maybe she could dress us all up as monster boys and put us in cages. No choreographing, no dancing, just growling at people and looking alluring for a few hours. Like a sexy sideshow.”

“Well I certainly wouldn’t object,” Rei said, carding his fingers gently through Nagisa’s hair, “though I imagine the novelty would wear off if you were all just standing around on display all night.”

“Nn, we could make it like… a haunted peep show,” he said, smiling lazily. “People pay to get in, and have to go through a maze or whatever, but in every room, there’s some kind of spooky-sexy thing going on. Like a vampire biting his victim,” Nagisa said, baring his teeth.

“That’s actually not a bad idea,” Rei said. “But who’s going to set up the maze?”

Nagisa wrinkled his nose, “Shit, even if we just did cardboard walls, it’d be a pain in the ass to build and set up. Ugh, and paint.”

“Any idea what kinds of things they’ve done in the past?”

Nagisa grunted softly, “Last year we did a live show of Rocky Horror.”

“No kidding?”

“Mm, it was before I started working there officially, but RinRin recruited me for the night.”

“Really,” Rei said admiringly. “Who’d you play?”

“Guess,” Nagisa said, scooting a little closer to him.

“Well, since I’ve seen your gold lamé booty shorts, I’m going to say Rocky?”

Nagisa grinned, shaking his head, “Those are just for work.”

“Who, then?”

“Only the best character in the whole show,” he said. When Rei quirked an eyebrow, he added with a flourish, “Columbia!”

Rei laughed, “Because you tap?”

“Because I already had the costume,” Nagisa admitted. “Rin-chan and Sou-chan and I always dress up to go to movie showings together.”

“Who do _they_ go as?”

Nagisa grinned, “Sou-chan always does Riff Raff, and Rin-chan goes as Magenta.” Rei let out an abrupt, surprised laugh, and Nagisa smiled a little wider, “I know, right? It started out as a joke, because they already had the butler and maid outfits from some school festival or something, but we’ve been forcing RinRin back into that costume for _years_.”

“I bet he loves that.”

“Sou-chan sure does,” Nagisa said, rolling over and stretching out on his back, “And I don’t think Rin-chan hates it as much as he pretends to.”

“Why not put the show on again this year?” Rei asked.

Nagisa made a thoughtful sound, “We still have all the costumes and props, but a lot of the people who were in it last year quit or moved away. And Mako-chan did Rocky last time, but only because Gou-chan really bribed him into it. I don’t think he’d do it again.”

“Who else are you missing? I might be able to help.”

Nagisa propped himself up on one elbow, “Really? How?”

Rei shrugged, “I’ve been in a couple shows myself.”

Nagisa’s eyes went wide, “ _Really?_ ” Before Rei had a chance to respond, Nagisa sucked in a breath, “Oh my god, you could be my Eddie.” He reached out, pressing a hand to Rei’s chest, “Rei-chan in a leather jacket.” He leaned in closer, unable to contain his enthusiasm, “Rei-chan on a _motorcycle_.”

But Rei just laughed, “Okay, I’ll admit, this is the first time anyone’s ever asked me to play Eddie.”

Nagisa’s shoulders sagged, “Aww. Who do you usually play?”

“Let’s say I tend to get type cast,” he said, pointedly adjusting his glasses.

“No!” Nagisa gasped. “ _You’re the asshole_?!”

“That’s right, Janet,” Rei quipped, a pitch-perfect Barry Bostwick, and Nagisa clapped his hands over his mouth and squealed.

“Oh this is perfect. You could be Brad, and-” his eyes went wide, “ _I could be your Janet!_ ” Rei raised his eyebrows, but Nagisa pressed on, “I already know the whole show practically line for line, and I have a pretty good falsetto. Then… I think Momo would fit in my Columbia costume, and Kissy could do Eddie and Dr. Scott again.” He stopped abruptly and sighed, slumping back against the pillows, “But we don’t have anyone to play Frank.”

“Actually,” Rei said, “I bet Haru would do it if you asked.”

Nagisa blinked, “Wait, what?”

“He’s been playing Frank-n-Furter professionally for years. It’s how I got into doing stage shows in the first place.”

Nagisa gaped at him, open-mouthed, “ _Haru-chan_?” Rei nodded, but Nagisa shook his head, “Haru as in, your roommate, Haru?”

“That’s the one.”

“ _Haruka ‘Deadpan’ Nanase_?”

Rei grinned, “Wait till you see him in a corset and heels. He’s a totally different person on stage.”

“Holy shit,” Nagisa breathed. He started to say he couldn’t imagine it, but stopped half way, picturing Haru with his subdued sass cranked up to eleven. Instead, he said, “That’s _terrifying_.” He paused, then added, “But if Haru would do it, I think Mako-chan would agree to do Rocky again.”

“And Ai was the Criminologist in the last few shows Haru and I did together. He could probably help out with choreography and staging, too, if Gou’s willing to pay him.”

“And if he were working at the same time as me, Ama-chan would have to cut us some slack with the early morning rehearsals. This… might actually be a really good idea. Better than staying after work every night building sets or learning new routines. Especially since everyone would pretty much know what they’re doing going in.”

Rei nodded, “With an experienced cast, it’s not a hard show to pull together.”

Nagisa spent a moment turning it over in his head, looking for the flaw in the plan, but he didn’t find one. They’d probably have to do a few rehearsals to make sure it would all come together, but if they’d all done it before, and all had the props and costumes already… Then a thought hit him. “Wait,” he said, turning back towards Rei, “If you’ve played Brad before, that means you have the costume for the floor show, too.”

“I do,” Rei said coyly.

Nagisa inched a little closer to him, trailing a hand down Rei’s chest, “You have the corset?” Rei gave a small nod, and Nagisa’s lips curled into a smile, hand sliding down to Rei’s hip, “And the garters?” Rei nodded again, and Nagisa slipped his hand down beneath the sheets, following the curve of Rei’s hip and thigh. Rei _wasn’t_ wearing pants; from the feel of it, he wasn’t wearing anything but a pair of his slinky not-panties. Nagisa shivered. “Thigh highs?” Rei hummed, affirmative, as Nagisa leaned in to kiss him. He pulled down the sheets (and, oh, god, he was wearing the lavender ones – those were his _favorite_ ) and nestled himself between Rei’s legs, “Heels?”

“Mm, stilettos,” Rei murmured.

Nagisa moaned, “Rei-chan, you’ve been holding out on me.”

“Weren’t you about to drop dead from exhaustion?” Rei teased, bending his leg and brushing his knee up along Nagisa’s side.

“Was I?” Nagisa murmured, hooking an arm beneath Rei’s thigh and lifting his leg up so he could kiss his kneecap. “God, you’re so fucking sexy.” He reached down between them to undo the button and fly on his jeans, which were starting to feel a little tight, then hooked his arm underneath Rei’s other leg, guiding him onto his back. Rei groaned, smoothing a hand through Nagisa’s hair, and Nagisa bent down and pressed slow, soft kisses to the inside of his thigh. “You have such amazing legs.” He ran the tip of his nose from the hollow of Rei’s hip all the way back to his knee, then breathed softly against his skin, making Rei shiver. He smoothed his hands down along Rei’s thighs, “I want to see them all wrapped up in lace and nylon.”

“I think I can arrange that,” Rei said, sounding a little breathless.

Nagisa scooted down and leaned forward, rubbing his cheek against Rei through his underwear. The satiny material was skin-hot and smooth, and Rei was already better than half hard and breathing heavily. As Nagisa nuzzled and kissed at him, it occurred to him that Rei had started making a habit of wearing his silky briefs when he wanted to get laid. A slow smile crawled across his lips, “You were waiting for me to get home.”

“Maybe,” Rei said.

Nagisa let out a pleased hum, turning his head and grazing his teeth lightly over Rei’s thigh. Rei groaned, swearing under his breath and shifting his hips. Nagisa kissed his way up along Rei’s stomach and chest, settling Rei’s legs on his shoulders and bunching him up as he moved to kiss at his neck and jaw. He ground himself against Rei’s ass, letting out a hot breath against his skin and whispering into his ear, “God, just the thought of you in thigh highs and heels makes me want to fuck you.”

“Mm… what’s stopping you?” Rei asked, and _wow._ Nagisa moaned hard, rutting up against him. He’d been at least half talking dirty, but the way Rei said it sent a hot pulse of desire racing through him and left him feeling a little weak.

“I thought you didn’t bottom,” Nagisa managed.

“I don’t,” Rei said, then, “I mean, I never have before, but not for a lack of willingness.”

Nagisa let out a low, rumbling laugh, “I understand. As soon as I saw it, I wanted it in me, too.”

Rei reached up and pinched Nagisa’s side, making him yelp and squirm. “I was _going_ to say, because I never had the right partner before.”

That hit Nagisa in an entirely different way. He stilled, leaning back a little to look down at Rei, who was… blushing? “Do you want to?” Nagisa asked quietly.

“I…” Rei huffed, glancing away from him, “Yes, but not today.”

Nagisa leaned in and pressed a kiss to the soft spot just behind Rei’s earlobe, his voice light and teasing, “Want some time to prep?”

Rei flushed darker, “Call me a romantic, but I want our first time to be good.”

Nagisa’s lips curled into a small smile, and he nipped at Rei’s neck, murmuring quietly, “I can’t tell if you’re just really confident in your ability to fuck my brains out, or if you’re questioning my sexual prowess.”

“Neither,” Rei said, and his tone made Nagisa glance up at his face, “I just…” He huffed again, then said, “I’d probably ruin the mood.” When Nagisa tilted his head, questioning, Rei looked up, meeting his eyes, “I’ve been accused of being bossy. In bed.”

A wide smile spread across Nagisa’s features, “Baby, you can boss me around all you want.”

Rei let out a startled snort of laughter, “Oh yeah?”

“Oh my _god_ yes.”

Then suddenly Nagisa was on his back on the bed and Rei was kneeling over him, looking down at him with a positively wicked smile, “You sure about that?”

Nagisa shivered. Fuck, he was smooth. “Absolutely,” he said, running his hands up along Rei’s muscular thighs and leaning up to kiss at Rei through his underwear again.

“Take off your shirt,” Rei said, pushing him gently back down against the bed.

“Yes _sir_ ,” Nagisa said, sitting up just enough to yank the shirt over his head and off.

Rei moved down along his body, curling his hands into the waistbands of Nagisa’s jeans and underwear. “Up,” he said. Nagisa laid back, lifting up his hips, and Rei peeled him deftly out of both layers at once and tossed them off the foot of the bed. _Damn_ he was good at that.

“Rei-chan’s impatient,” he said, breathless and amused.

“Is that bad?” he asked, tugging off both of Nagisa’s socks at once.

“Mm, no, I kinda like it,” he said, wiggling his toes. Rei started to slide back onto the bed, slipping in between Nagisa’s legs, but Nagisa stopped him with a foot on his chest. “You too,” he said, nodding down at Rei’s underwear.

Rei drew back again, peeling out of his briefs, and Nagisa couldn’t help but smile as Rei crawled across the bed toward him. On his hands and knees, Rei looked deliciously predatory. He settled in between Nagisa’s legs, leaning down over him and pressing slow kisses to his neck, his voice a hot breath against Nagisa’s ear, “You can have me any time you want me, but I’ve been waiting all day to get you beneath me.”

Nagisa groaned, arching his body and tipping his head back, baring his neck, “Fuck, Rei.” When Rei licked a long line up his throat, Nagisa moaned again, “Where did this come from?”

“You’re waiting tables tonight,” Rei said, kissing down along Nagisa’s collarbone.

Nagisa laughed breathlessly, “What?”

“…and you don’t have class or rehearsal in the morning,” he added, flicking his tongue along Nagisa’s nipple.

Nagisa grunted, “And?”

“…and we aren’t working until late tomorrow,” he said, grazing his teeth lightly against Nagisa’s belly, “and I don’t believe you’ll be dancing then either.”

Then he got it, and he couldn’t help but giggle, “You really _are_ afraid you’re going to leave me limping.”

“No,” Rei said, licking just beneath Nagisa’s bellybutton, his voice going low, “I intend to.”

Nagisa sucked in a breath, his body suddenly wound tight with arousal, and he flung out an arm, groping blindly on the nightstand for the bottle of lube they kept there. He knocked something clean off the table in his haste, but found the bottle and grabbed it.

“Eager?” Rei said, reaching up and pulling over a few pillows.

“Don’t tease,” he said, lifting his hips so Rei could slide the pillows underneath him, then pressing the lube into Rei’s hand.

“Not even a little?” Rei asked, popping open the bottle with a sharp snap. Nagisa whined in protest, but it didn’t stop him from watching as Rei poured the clear liquid onto his fingertips. Rei caught him looking, and for a moment it wasn’t Sex God Rei looming over him, it was Cautious, Gentle Rei, and he asked, “Is this okay?”

Nagisa nodded, already aching for him, “It’s _so_ okay. I was afraid we were going to have to wait until after Christmas.” As he said it, an absurd thought entered his head, and his eyes went a little wide. “You marked this on the calendar.” A little star in the upper right corner. He hadn’t known what it meant.

“Yes I did,” Rei said.

Nagisa laughed breathlessly, “Nerd.”

“Scheduling is an art form,” Rei said, slowly coating his fingers in the lube.

“Apparently so,” Nagisa said, wiggling his hips to get comfortable on the pillows before hooking his legs over Rei’s shoulders.

“You ready?” Rei asked.

Nagisa laughed breathlessly, “I’m about ready to start without you.” He reached down to stroke himself, but Rei swatted his hand away, and before he had a chance to taunt or tease him for it, Rei shifted his weight, angling Nagisa’s hips, and pressed a slick fingertip to his entrance. It was more than enough to shut him up, and Nagisa closed his eyes and laid his head back, groaning as Rei circled him and then slowly pushed inside. The first time they’d done this, Nagisa had mistaken Rei’s gentleness for caution, but he had come to realize that Rei wasn’t hesitant, he was just very, very thorough. Nagisa tended to rush through prep, to spend only as long as was absolutely necessary (and sometimes a little less) on the easing and stretching before skipping ahead to the fun part.

But Rei made every part the fun part, lavishing him with gentle kisses, his unoccupied hand roaming over Nagisa’s body with light, tender touches – caressing, gently scratching, almost but not quite tickling, soothing him and waking up his every nerve. As big as Rei’s hands were, one finger was hardly an obstacle, but Rei made a production of stretching him slowly, slipping gently in and out, until Nagisa was so electrified that even the sensation of Rei’s breath on his skin made him shiver. This time, when Nagisa reached down to wrap a hand around himself, Rei didn’t stop him, and just when he was about to beg for more, Rei touched another fingertip to him, drawing his finger out and then pushing them back in together, making him shudder.

It felt good enough to overwhelm Nagisa’s natural impatience; he wanted more, wanted _Rei_ , but Rei could read him well enough that his attention was never teasing or tormenting, slow but never torturous. And Nagisa found that he liked being pampered. No one had ever touched him like this – like he was fragile and precious, something to be treasured, almost worshiped. With anyone else, it might have been too heavy, too intense, but with Rei, it felt _good_ , intimate and pleasantly weighty, like they were sharing something important.

When Rei pressed a third finger inside him and whispered against his ear, “You’re so beautiful,” Nagisa threaded his fingers into Rei’s hair and pulled him down into a kiss, making a soft, needy sound against his mouth.

And Rei kissed him, slow and languid like he could do it forever, all soft touches of tongue and light grazes of teeth and hot breath that left him trembling. “Please,” Nagisa gasped, breathless, “I need you,” because his whole body was livid with sensation, almost painfully aroused, his cock dribbling precum on his hand and stomach, and they both knew that it would only take a few crooks of Rei’s deft fingers to make him come undone, but that wasn’t what either of them wanted. Not today. “Please,” he said again, but whimpered when Rei slowly drew his fingers out.

“It’s okay,” Rei said, pressing a tender kiss to Nagisa’s knee. “I’m right here.”

Nagisa reached over to the nightstand, pulling open the drawer and feeling around inside until his hand closed around a condom. He was so turned on, though, that his fingers felt clumsy and stupid, and when he tried to open it, the little foil wrapper seemed vastly more complicated than it should have been. After a moment of struggling with it, he thrust out his arm, holding it out to Rei and collapsing back into his pillows, “You do it.”

Rei let out a dry, breathy chuckle and took the condom. When Nagisa heard the foil rip, he cracked his eyes open to look up at him.

Rei was a vision. Kneeling between Nagisa’s legs, bathed in the golden light of late afternoon, he was all tan skin and lean muscle, from his broad chest to his trim hips to his impossibly perfect cock. He’d taken off his glasses at some point, and their absence softened the lines of his face and made his lilac eyes seem more vivid. His hair was disheveled, his lips plump and swollen, his chest flushed pink. Nagisa pushed himself up on one elbow, not even bothering to pretend like he wasn’t staring as his gaze wandered down, following the motion of Rei’s hands as he rolled on the condom. He licked his lips, barely resisting the urge to reach out and touch as Rei uncapped the lube and started slicking himself up, slowly.

Nagisa could feel the weight of Rei’s gaze on him, knew he was watching him watch, but he didn’t care. He wanted to drink Rei in, to memorize him, to file this moment away and keep it, because Rei was _beautiful_ , better than the best, filthiest dream he’d ever had, and because Rei was _his_. “Come here,” he said.

Rei closed the distance between them, and Nagisa slipped a hand in around the back of his neck, drawing Rei into a kiss as he eased himself back down against the bed. Rei’s fingertips ghosted along Nagisa’s legs, and Nagisa coiled them around his waist, locking his ankles at the small of Rei’s back. When he squeezed Rei with his thighs, Rei broke their kiss, moaning weakly against his mouth, “God, Nagisa.”

“Come on,” he said, smoothing his hands down along Rei’s back and kneading at his shoulder blades, “I’m ready.”

Rei nodded, pressing gentle, absentminded kisses to the corner of Nagisa’s mouth as he shifted against him, lining their hips up, and _oh_. Rei pushed in slow and gentle, and Nagisa splayed his hands out on Rei’s back, breathing deeply and doing his best to stay relaxed as Rei worked himself deeper. Nagisa was suddenly glad they’d worked up to this, that Rei was so meticulous about doing prep, because Rei was big, but the stretch and the pressure felt _good_ , good enough to draw a low, lewd moan out of him. The sound made Rei’s hips hitch, made him push the rest of the way in faster than he’d probably meant to, and he let out a hot, shaky breath against Nagisa’s neck, “Oh my god, you feel so good.”

Impulsively, Nagisa reached up and threaded his fingers into Rei’s hair, drawing his head back so he could look up into his eyes. It was startlingly, breathtakingly intimate, so close they were passing the same breath between them, and for once – for the first time, maybe – Rei didn’t hesitate, didn’t need to ask permission. He just started to move. And despite what he’d said, despite all the raunchy teasing and anticipation on both their parts, when they found their rhythm, bodies moving together, it was slow and tender. Nagisa stayed looking up into Rei’s eyes as long as he could keep his own open, and when it was too much even to lift his eyelids, he kissed Rei clumsily, parted lips pressed together as they panted into each other’s mouths.

There was nothing careful or measured about the way Rei moved, no thought or calculation in the rhythmic thrust of his hips, and that as much as anything left Nagisa dizzy with arousal. It was a hard habit to break – keeping your distance from a lover you don’t intend to stay with – and one that Rei still tended to fall back on when he was setting their pace. But Nagisa had never seen him so open, so raw, uncontrolled and unselfconscious, his face lax with pleasure and his skin coated in a fine sheen of sweat. And, Nagisa realized, he was trembling.

He slid his arms around Rei’s head and shoulders, hugging him down against his neck and squeezing him around the waist with his thighs. And Rei let himself be pulled against Nagisa’s chest until they were two hot, sweat-slicked bodies grinding and panting together, skin on skin with almost no space between them. The shift trapped Nagisa’s cock between them, and the sudden increase in friction was enough to make him gasp and moan and shudder. “Fuck, Rei,” he gasped, head lolling back.

Rei took the obscene sounds Nagisa was making for the invitation they were, picking up the pace even as he slipped his arms in underneath Nagisa’s shoulders, holding him close, fingertips digging gently into his skin.

And it was too much, being held like that, like he was something worth holding onto. He gripped Rei tighter, dizzy with pleasure as Rei drove into him harder and faster, flooded with affection and want and need, and the electric sensations sparking through him started to solidify in the pit of his stomach. “I’m close,” he gasped, and Rei moaned, _hard_ , subtly shifting their angle and hammering into him, slow and hard, until Nagisa saw stars and his skin felt too tight and his breath came in tiny gasps. He couldn’t even manage a warning, just cried out Rei’s name, jagged and raw, as he came, spilling himself in the tight space between their bodies.

Rei thrust again, slower and harder, once, twice, thrice, before his breath caught in a little gasp and his body shuddered, the tension flowing out of him so abruptly that he all but collapsed down on top of Nagisa.

Nagisa nuzzled his face down into Rei’s hair, panting hard and breathing the smell of his sweat and shampoo, still holding him tight. Now they were both trembling, pressed so close together it felt like the same pulse was thundering in both their chests. And Rei, who was always so quick to recover, who did not share Nagisa’s love for being filthy dirty with sex, was not rushing to disengage and toss the condom, was making no move whatsoever to head for the shower to wash up and get ready for work. For once, he was still, his body heavy on top of Nagisa’s, his breath still coming hard and ragged, hot against Nagisa’s neck, arms still looped around him like he had no plan to ever let him go.

“I think I just fell in love with you all over again,” Nagisa murmured against Rei’s scalp.

Rei nodded, like this was a reasonable and not-delirious thing to say. “Yeah,” he agreed, pressing a slow kiss to the curve of Nagisa’s neck, “wow.”

Nagisa hummed his own agreement, hugging Rei a little tighter and letting his head loll back. His body was heavy with satisfaction, his limbs boneless and liquid. He closed his eyes, relishing in the weight of Rei’s body on top of him, the way their breathing slowed in tandem, the way their hearts calmed down together, the way Rei’s skin was still hot against his. He couldn’t remember ever feeling this good, this content.

* * *

Nagisa woke up to the sound of sizzling oil and the smell of something frying, which didn’t make sense. He slid a hand out to the other side of the bed, looking for Rei, then groaned and pushed himself up, rubbing at his eyes. The light had shifted, afternoon darkening into night, and the only light was coming from above the stove in the kitchen. He was sticky and itchy with dried sweat and cum and lube, his body pleasantly sore and absolutely reeking of sex. That thought made him snap awake. He sat up abruptly, the sheets falling down around his hips, but as far as he could tell, the apartment was empty. “Rei?”

“Oh, you’re awake,” Rei said cheerfully, popping up from underneath the counter with a saucepan in hand. Nagisa breathed out a little sigh of relief, the momentary alarm melting away, but Rei saw it before it was gone, “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. For a second I just thought…” he shook his head, running a hand through his tangled hair. “How long was I out?”

“A few hours,” Rei said, setting the pot down on the stove. He turned something over in the big cast iron pan and turned down the heat, then made his way over to the bed and sat down on the edge. He was already dressed for work. “I was actually about to wake you, but I guess your stomach beat me to it.”

“It smells fantastic in here,” Nagisa said. “I’m sorry I fell asleep on you.”

“Don’t be. I did, too, I just woke up before you did.” He reached over and brushed Nagisa’s bangs out of his eyes, “You looked really spooked just now. Bad dream?”

Nagisa closed his eyes, sighing softly and leaning into Rei’s touch, “It’s stupid.”

“Tell me anyway?” Rei asked, running his thumb lightly along Nagisa’s cheekbone.

“It’s just… for a second when I woke up, I thought you were gone.” Rei tilted his head, and Nagisa added, “I mean, I was afraid that you’d left.”

“Why would I leave?”

Nagisa shook his head, “I don’t know. I mean, obviously you didn’t, but like…” he glanced up at Rei, “That was really intense. Like, way more than I thought it would be, and…” he chewed his lip, dropping his eyes to his lap, “I dunno, I guess I’ve had enough people disappear on me right after crossing that line for it to be a Thing.”

Rei was quiet for a moment before he said, “I know I have a well-established reputation as The Guy Who Bails-” Nagisa started to object, but Rei held up a hand and continued, “But even if I weren’t absolutely head-over-heels in love with you – which I am, by the way – even I’m not stupid enough to walk away from the best sex I’ve ever had.”

Nagisa snorted, shoving Rei’s shoulder, “Oh, shut up.”

“I’m serious,” Rei said, and he sounded like he meant it. “It was different with you.”

Nagisa sobered, searching Rei’s face. “You seemed different.”

Rei let out a little half-laugh, glancing away. “You know, I spent all day figuring out exactly how I was going to seduce you when you got home. I had it all planned out, how I was going to be all suave and smooth and impress you. But when it came down to it…” he shook his head, looking back up at Nagisa, “I stopped thinking. Completely. That’s never happened to me before, not like that.”

“Is that a good thing or a bad thing?”

“It was amazing,” he said. “You’re so overwhelming, in the best kind of way. I’m pretty sure you’re the only thing that’s ever turned off my inner monologue.”

A slow smile crawled across Nagisa’s lips, “So what you’re saying is, I literally fucked your brains out.”

Rei wrinkled his nose, like he was about to object, but laughed and said, “Sure. Yeah. Why not?” He hesitated, though, his smile slipping and his voice coming out uncertain, “Was it good for you?”

“Rei-chan,” Nagisa said, like he was addressing a simpleton, “you sexed me into unconsciousness.”

“You would have passed out just fine all by yourself,” he said. “You were so exhausted, I probably should have-”

“Rei.” Nagisa dropped his teasing tone, leaning in and pressing a soft kiss to Rei’s cheek, “It was perfect, baby.” He traced his fingertips lightly along the shell of Rei’s ear, adding quietly, “Maybe this sounds selfish, but I like being the center of your attention. It felt like you finally really let me in, and I’ve never felt connected with someone like that before, either. Like I said, it was…” he couldn’t help it, the thought popped into his head, and he couldn’t keep himself from smiling, “mindblowing.”

Rei cracked a smile, too, “How many times are you going to make that joke?”

“I plan to keep making every possible variation of it until you start making jokes about how you’re so good at sex that you made me pass out.”

“I’ll have to come up with a good one, then,” Rei said, leaning over and pressing a kiss to Nagisa’s forehead, “just to shut you up.”

“Hey!”

But Rei had already stood up and started making his way back to the kitchen, “You should probably go take a shower while I finish making dinner, or I’ll have to come spray you down with the kitchen hose.”

“What? You don’t think the ladies would appreciate my Eau-de-Rei?”

Rei reached over and pulled the sprayer up from the kitchen sink. It wasn’t _quite_ menacing, but the threat was there.

“Fiiiine,” Nagisa said, flopping back in bed, “If you insist, I’ll wash all evidence of our beautiful lovemaking down the drain.”

“Not all of it,” Rei said a little guiltily, replacing the sprayer in the sink before heading over to the refrigerator. “You’ll still have some fingerprints on your shoulders.”

Nagisa shifted his shoulder forward and strained to peek down at it. Sure enough, there was a neat line of small, round bruises where Rei’s fingers had dug into his skin, and a matching set on the other shoulder. “You’ve got a good grip,” he said, prodding experimentally at the small bluish spots.

Rei winced, “Sorry.”

“I’m not complaining,” Nagisa said. “I meant what I said. I like it when I make you forget yourself.”

“I’m sure Gou-san would appreciate it if I didn’t,” he said, measuring and pouring something into the saucepan.

“Uuuugh, let’s not talk about Gou-chan,” Nagisa groaned, flopping back and throwing an arm over his eyes. “Are you sure I can’t just skip work tonight?”

“Positive,” Rei said, “but I think we’ll both be able to skip the meeting.”

“Wait, what?”

Rei glanced back over his shoulder, “While you were asleep, I called Haru and asked him about doing Rocky Horror. He was on board, so I called Gou-san and talked it over with her. She liked the idea, too, so it looks like it’s going to be a here’s-what-we’re-doing meeting instead of a what-do-we-do meeting.”

“Have I mentioned lately that I’m super in love with you?”

“Quite a few times, actually,” Rei said, and Nagisa could hear the smile on his lips, “while we were in bed.”

Nagisa flushed, “…I did?”

“Mm. It’s easily the least raunchy thing you’ve said to me right before an orgasm.”

“No fair,” Nagisa said sulkily. “You can’t hold the things I say when I’m in an altered mental state against me.”

“You mean, when you’re totally uninhibited and honest?”

Nagisa wrinkled his nose, “When you’ve sexed me into a fugue state.”

Rei barked out a surprised laugh, “Is that what the kids are calling it these days?”

“Oh, shut up old man,” Nagisa muttered. Rei put a hand to his chest, feigning _deep_ offense at the insult and letting out a wounded little gasp. Nagisa rolled his eyes. “So what’s for dinner?”

“Tonkatsu with miso-and-leftovers soup.”

Nagisa made a face, “The pile of mackerel Haru made?”

“Or Tuesday’s crab legs, your choice.”

“Oooh, fancy fancy, Rei-chan.”

“Well, you were going to let the tofu go bad again if I didn’t cook it, and I figured you could use some comfort food after the week you’ve had.”

Nagisa smiled, laying out on his side and leaning his head on his hand so he could watch Rei while he cooked. “Good in bed, good in the kitchen. It’s a miracle no one snapped you up years ago.”

“Well, I’ve never really cooked for anyone but Haru before,” Rei said absently, tasting a sip of the soup broth.

“No way!” Nagisa said. “Cooking a romantic surprise meal is, like, your signature smooth move.”

Rei turned to look over at him, eyebrows raised, “It is?”

“Oh my god, Rei-chan, don’t play dumb. You make me breakfast in bed all the time.” He sat up a little straighter, pointing at him, “You made me breakfast in bed the first time you stayed over. It was smooth as hell.”

Rei went quiet, turning back to the cutting board on the counter and resuming cubing the tofu. After a moment, he said, “That was actually your idea.”

Nagisa tilted his head, “What?”

Rei scooped up the tofu with his knife and dropped it carefully into the saucepot. “I guess you might not realize it, but I’ve never been a stay-the-night kind of guy, let alone a stay-for-breakfast kind of guy.”

Nagisa blinked, suddenly remembering, “That first night, you were stuck here. Because of the rain.” Rei nodded, but Nagisa pressed, “What does that have to do with breakfast?”

Rei went quiet again, pulling plates out of the cabinet. “You know you talk in your sleep, right?” he asked carefully, dishing the fried pork out onto the plates.

Nagisa felt his face go red, “I’ve been told that I do it on occasion.”

Rei let out a soft laugh, “It’s a little more than occasional, but anyway, that first night, after you fell asleep, you started talking.”

“Oh no,” Nagisa breathed, pressing his hand to his face, “What did I say?”

“You made me promise that I’d still be there when you woke up.” Nagisa’s cheeks _burned_. “You made me pinky promise, actually,” Rei said, grinning back over his shoulder at Nagisa, who was pretty sure he was about to die of embarrassment. “And then you started trying to bribe me into staying, saying, among other things, that we could have breakfast in bed together. And when I asked what you liked to eat for breakfast, you gave me a very long list that ended in a story about rainbow striped unicorns and dancing penguins.”

“Oh my god,” Nagisa said.

“Like I said, your idea,” Rei said.

“But you _stayed_. You actually _made me breakfast_ instead of sneaking out a window and quitting your job and avoiding me for the next sixty years.”

“Actually, that’s a pretty good description of my so-called signature smooth move, prior to meeting you,” Rei said. “So I suppose I should thank you for upping my game.”

“Can I declare that sweet move proprietary, so you can only use it on me?”

“Well, that only seems fair,” Rei said, an amused smile on his lips. “But if you’re not fresh and clean and smelling like a dessert tray in five minutes, I’m going to eat without you and make you drive yourself to work.”

“But-!”

“And I’ll make _you_ eat the mackerel.”

Now _that_ was a threat. Nagisa popped up out of bed and raced into the bathroom.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to make sure this chapter got posted before Halloween, because, to be honest, I want everyone to re/watch Rocky Horror with this recast in mind. I guarantee it is an A+ excellent experience. Just imagining Nagisa in a bra and panties biting his knuckle and saying, dramatically, "Oh, *Brad!*" I think should be enough to sell everyone on it. If not that, then see also: Haru murdering Kisumi with a pickaxe. I have Much of the next chapter already written (and intended for it to be one chapter, until my Rocky Horror Shenanigans got out of hand). I won't promise it'll be up before Halloween, but definitely MUCH sooner than this one.
> 
> theshannonlewis on twitter and tumblr. Please come scream at me about swimming boys and or RHPS and or Halloween.


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